Northwest Dive Club

Found a couple things that we could use some ID thoughts on -
I don't recall seeing a brightly colored anemone like this before; is this just a really pretty rose anemone? Is this a pygmy rock crab? Seems like Redondo is not the area these are typically found. Is this clam spawning or just filtering? Thanks everyone!

First is a pink tipped anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima, Don't think I remember seeing one this far down in the sound. As for the crab, I think your right but I don't do crabs.
And yes the clam is spawning. Did you see any others around? Usually when you see one there will be more. They usually time it to occur together although don't ask me how they manage that.

Thanks Rich. I thought it was strange to see the anemone at Redondo as well.
The crab too. We've seen them in the colder waters in the large barnacle shells but not here...
And the clam looked to be the only one actively spawning.

It seems that Redondo still continues to produce critters not typically known for the southern end!!!

We'll make it over your for another "tour" one of these days.

Hi Kathy,

I'm going to respectfully and tentatively disagree on the anemone ID.

The fat tentacles and lined oral disk make me thing it's a stubby rose anemone aka Urticina coriacea. Not being a diver, I'm not familiar with conditions at Redondo but one would expect to see this anemone mostly buried in sand with only the tentacles and disk exposed. The same could be true of Anthopleura sola or A. artemsia but they don't have a lined oral disk and I've never seen any Anthopleura spp with fat tentacles. Urticina tentacles are usually tapered but, for reasons that are beyond me, they sometimes 'puff up' into the shape shown in your photo.

Fun fact - Anthopleura spp. will flouresce under a blacklight but Urticina spp. won't.

Agreeably yours,

Alex

Thanks Alex, Good info. I thought it weird that Anthopleura elegantissima would be found at Redondo and they are seldom found as a single one by it's self.

Thanks for the help Alex and Dusty!

Dusty was correct on the i.d.'s- Anthopleura elegantissima, Cancer oregonensis, and the last is a spawning horseclam. What's particularly interesting about the clam is the third siphon, down below the normal top two. I've also seen this in geoducks and piddocks, but don't know what causes it.
Both the anemone and the crab occur in south sound, just not as abundantly as in the north. Stubby rose anemones are solid pale greenish color around the mouth (without lines radiating to the mouth), have a solid red column (a bit of the column is visible), and don't have pink-tipped tentacles.
Here's a picture of Anthopleura cloning itself by dividing in half The only difference is the fatness of the tentacles, and that is something that can change a lot over very short periods of time.

Fascinating stuff!! Thanks Greg!

I really need to read more..

Has anyone mentioned lately what a privilege it is to have someone like Greg on this board?