species: Stichodactyla gigantea in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Stichodactyla gigantea


©Rituraj Sharma: Stichodactyla gigantea with fish Amphiprion percula at Loomis Reef, Lizard Island lagoon.

©Rituraj Sharma: Column of Stichodactyla gigantea at Loomis Reef, Lizard Island lagoon. Note the non-adhesive verruccae (warts).

©Keesha Millar: Stichodactyla gigantea at Loomis Reef, Lizard Island, in Sep 2021. This anemone has been in the same area since 2015. The fish are Amphiprion percula.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hexacorallia
Order Actiniaria
Family Stichodactylidae
Genus Stichodactyla
Species Stichodactyla gigantea

Colours

         

Distinguishing features

A large anemone with a deeply folded oral disc densely covered with tentacles up to about 3 cm long that taper to a blunt point. In the Lizard Island area, tentacles are either bright blue with brown bases or completely brown.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island: Uncommon

Web resources

Danger

  • mild discomfort - From experience at Lizard Island, contact with the blue form of this anemone is painless, but uncomfortable swelling and lesions develop after several hours and last for several days.  

References

References that assist with identification

  • Fautin, D.G. and G.R. Allen (1992). Field guide to anemonefishes and their host sea anemones Western Australian Museum, Perth, WA.

Other references

  • Elliott, J.K. and R.N. Mariscal (1996). Ontogenetic and interspecific variation in the protection of anemonefishes from sea anemones. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 208: 52-72. LIRS catalog number 1662.
  • Elliott, J.K., J.M. Elliott and R.N. Mariscal (1995). Host selection, location, and association behaviours of anemonefishes in field settlement experiments, Marine Biology, 122: 377-389. LIRS catalog number 700.
  • View all references