FAUNA and FUNGHI of MALTA (www.MaltaFauna.com) Actinia equina  (Linnaeus, 1758) Main synonym = Actinia mesembryanthemum    Ellis and Solander, 1786 Taxonomical Classification:  Animalia / Cnidaria / Anthozoa / Actinaria / Actiniidae Beadlet anemone     Artikla ħamra Further Information: Actinia equina is found attached to hard substrata, both in exposed and sheltered situations, from the upper to lower shore and rarely in subtidal areas to depths of around 20 m. It is highly adapted to the intertidal zone as it tolerates high temperatures and desiccation. Actinia equina is also found in regions of variable salinity such as estuaries. This anemone has a broad (up to 5 cm in diameter) base, which is moderately or firmly adhesive, with a smooth column. It has up to 192 tentacles arranged into 6 circles. The tentacles readily retract if the animal is disturbed. Actinia equina is uniform in colour, with no pattern on the disk, and can be red, brown, green or orange in colour. Bright blue wart like spots, called acrorhagi, are often found round the inside of the top margin of the column. When exposed at low tide, tentacles are retracted and animal assumes spherical shape to minimise dehydration. Actinia equina is similar in form to the Strawberry anemone (Actinia fragacea) but is a uniform colour and is typically rather smaller. Quite common in Malta. Search for Actinia equina  in the following online resources: Search on Google Google Scholar More info on Wikipedia Global Biodiversity NCBI Database Watch on YouTube Other Links and info Funghi & Fauna Main Page Wild Plants Main Index Close This Window Image Code: ACTI-EQU (required to buy images in this page) This website needs financial support through sponsors or advertisment - check here . All material and data on this webpage (www.MaltaWildPlants.com) is under the copyright of Stephen Mifsud (2002-2018) This environment and biodiversity awareness website about the flora and fauna of Malta is sponsored by: