Sea anemones

Actiniaria

Colourful tentacles swaying in the current, sea anemones are home to clownfish in the tropics and shelter prawns and crabs in temperate waters. Look but don't touch — their stinging cells can irritate bare skin.

Last updated April 2026

Snakelocks anemoneAnemonia viridis17 photos

Observed at

Bajo Piles I(Cabo de Palos)Las Planetas(Sant Feliu de Guíxols)Túneles de Port Salvi(Sant Feliu de Guíxols)Roca Muladera(Tossa de Mar)Pedra de Déu(Illes Medes)Torre Ferrer(Costa del Maresme)Cala Margarida(Palamós)La Calita(La Herradura)Ferranelles(Illes Medes)

Mediterranean rough anemoneCribrinopsis crassa8 photos

Observed at

Las Planetas(Sant Feliu de Guíxols)El Trencat(Costa del Maresme)La Calzada(Costa del Maresme)El Jardín y La Red(Sant Feliu de Guíxols)El Templo(Costa del Maresme)

Sea anemone8 photos

Up to 30 cm1–40mRocky reefCoral reef

A flower-like animal with a ring of colorful tentacles surrounding a central mouth, attached to rocks or coral. Comes in many species and colors — reds, greens, purples.

Tentacles sway in the current waiting for food to drift past — look for clownfish in tropical species and shrimp hiding among the tentacles.

Observed at

Pedra de Déu(Illes Medes)Roca Muladera(Tossa de Mar)Mar Menuda(Tossa de Mar)

Cylinder anemoneCerianthus membranaceus6 photos

Up to 30 cm5–40mSand

A large tube-dwelling cerianthid (not a true sea anemone) that lives in a buried felt-like tube. Two whorls of long tentacles, a wide outer crown and shorter inner ones, in colours ranging from white to violet, brown or yellow.

Observed at

Las Planetas(Sant Feliu de Guíxols)Piedra del Hombre(La Herradura)

Trumpet anemoneAiptasia mutabilis2 photos

Up to 10 cm0–20mRocky reef

A small anemone with a smooth brown column and long, slender, translucent tentacles that cannot fully retract. Common on shaded rock and harbour walls; its brown tint comes from symbiotic algae.

Observed at

Bajo de Dentro(Cabo de Palos)Mar Menuda(Tossa de Mar)La Virgen(Costa del Maresme)

DDIVECODEXLOG

Every dive has a story. Share yours.

Log your dives - notes, photos, conditions and the marine life you saw - and share them as one public diver profile. What you share helps the next diver, too.

Log every detail

Depth, duration, conditions, gear, buddy, notes — all in one place. Import from Suunto and other dive computers.

Track marine life

Record species sightings on each dive. Build a personal catalogue of everything you've seen underwater.

Your public dive profile

Share your dive history, stats, and experiences with a profile page you control. Show the world where you've been.

Create your free dive log