Banded tube-dwelling anemone

Appearance

Anemone living inside parchment-like tubes. Oral disc with a ring of long, pointed outer tentacles on the edge of the disc, and a tuft of shorter tentacles around the mouth. Disc up to 3 cm in diameter, tentacles 5 cm long. Outer tentacles translucent brown and white banded; oral disc and inner tentacles whitish.

Naming

Arachnanthus nocturnus den Hartog, 1977 is now accepted as Isarachnanthus nocturnus (Hartog, 1977)

Distribution

In both Caribbean and East Atlantic subtropical areas.

Habitat

Anemone living inside tubes buried in mud, sand or fine gravel in areas of sand and coral rubble, down to 25 m. Retracts immediately by disturbance. Inhabits sandy, muddy and fine gravel/coral rubble bottom areas from depths of 15 to 65 feet (5 - 20 m).