Kotore moana

Description:

The large Wandering Anemone (phlyctenactis tuberculosa -kotore moana) has corn-like tubercles on its extensible column. It feels very soft to the touch and its column won't sting. Its column is highly variable in colour: pink, mauve, grey, green, brown, orange. After I spottted it in a shallow rock pool at Scorching bay, I decided to offer to it some extra protection from the hot sun: I covered it with seaweed, and watched it "blooming" :)

Habitat:

It is found in calm waters where it wanders from seaweed to seaweed. It mainly comes out at night to catch nocturnal zooplankton, or it reaches down to sweep the sea bottom.