Beaded Sea Anemone

Heteractis aurora

The beaded sea anemone, Heteractis aurora, is known for its distinctive appearance with tentacles that can reach up to 50 mm in length. These tentacles often have magenta tips and feature swellings that resemble beads on a string, with up to 20 swellings on a single tentacle. The oral disc of this species can be quite broad, reaching up to 250 mm in width, and displays brown or purplish coloration with white or brown radiating markings. This species is found across a wide geographical range, including Micronesia, Melanesia, East Africa, the Red Sea, and from Australia to the Ryukyu Islands. It typically inhabits coral reefs, rocky reef edges, and slopes in areas with strong currents, often attaching itself to surfaces and remaining partially buried in sand or sediment. Heteractis aurora is usually found at depths ranging from 0 to 19 meters. Heteractis aurora plays host to seven species of anemonefish, although it is primarily a nursery anemone as sexually mature fish are rarely found with it. The species also has commensal relationships with porcelain crabs, shrimp from the Periclimenes genus, and threespot dascyllus. The conservation status of this species has not been evaluated.