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Giant White-Plumed AnemoneGiant Plumose Anemone, Frilled Anemone, Sun Anemone Metridium giganteumPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David BroughLatest Reader Comment - See More This is a really cool website. I learned a lot from it and it helped me a lot with a homework assignment. Thank you! Anonymous Though suitable for only the largest aquariums in captivity, the Giant White-Plumed Anemone sure makes an attractive 'garden' in the sea!Giant White-Plumed Anemone Contents The Giant White-Plumed Anemone truly is a 'giant'. It has been referred to as the world's tallest polyp with specimens getting up to 3 feet tall. This beautiful anemone can be white, reddish-yellow to brown. Its beautiful lobed oral disk is topped with soft fluffy tentacles, it is likened to a feather plume or a powder puff. Thus its has various common names such as the Giant Plumose Anemone, Frilled Anemone, Powder Puff Anemone, Sun Anemone, and White-Plumed Anemone. The Metridium genus is an interesting and much different looking group of anemones. They are cold water dwellers, found in all of the world's cold water oceans. Their range includes the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America and the coasts of Japan. They occur in intertidal to subtidal zones down to depths of 656 feet (200 m). In shallow areas they can be exposed during low tide, looking much like a droopy wet sock. They use their flower-like tentacles to sting and capture prey, feeding on the small plankton in the water column. The Giant White-Plumed Anemone, M. giganteum is found from Alaska to southern California, with San Diego being the southernmost limit of its range. They attach to hard surfaces such as rocks, wrecks, pilings and floating docks. They also inhabit the kelp forests and sometimes are seen attached to the backs of kelp crabs and red rock crabs. The Giant Plumose is often confused with its smaller cousin, the Plumose Anemone M. senile. However the Giant Plumose Anemone has more than 100 tentacles on an lobbed oral disc, while the Plumose does not have a lobbed disc, has fewer than the 100 tentacles, and most importantly it only grows up to 4" (10 cm) . The Giant White-Plumed Anemone is a hardy, durable cold water species. These anemone average about 1 1/2 feet tall, but could grow up to 3 feet, so they must be kept in a very large aquarium.. If given a cold water reef environment with proper care and feeding, they can live a very long time. They can be centuries old, and in captivity, some were over 100 years old before human error caused their captive demise.
Family: Phymanthidae Species: Metridium giganteum - Syn: Metridium farcimen Sea Anemone Facts: The Giant White-Plumed Anemone or Giant Plumose Anemone Metridium giganteum was described by Fautin, Bucklin and Hand in 1989. Other common names this anemone is known by are Frilled Anemone, Powder Puff Anemone, Sun Anemone, White-Plumed Anemone, and White Plume Anemone. The Metridium genus was described by Blainville in 1824, and there are around 9 or more species listed for this genus. Besides the Giant White-Plumed Anemone Metridium giganteum, a few of these species are M. dianthus, M. exilis, M. farcimen, M. fimbriatum, M. marginatum, M. parvulum, M. senile, and M. sinensis. The Giant White-Plumed Anemone is often confused with its smaller cousin, the Plumose Anemone M. senile. However the Giant Plumose has more than 100 tentacles on an lobbed oral disc, while the Plumose does not have a lobbed disc, has fewer than the 100 tentacles, and most importantly it only grows up to 4" (10 cm) . Where are Sea Anemones Found: The Metridium genus is found in all of the world's cold water oceans such as the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America and coasts of Japan. The M. giganteum is found from Alaska to the Catalina Island along the California coast, and is also located in Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia and the San Juan Islands. Sea Anemone Habitat: They occur in intertidal to subtidal zones down to depths of 656 feet (200 m). They attach to hard surfaces such as rocks, wrecks, pilings and floating docks. They also inhabit the giant kelp forests and are sometimes seen attached to the backs of kelp crabs and red rock crabs. In shallow areas they can be exposed during low tide, looking much like a droopy wet sock. Metridium anemones use their flower-like tentacles to sting and capture prey. They feed on small plankton in the water column. Certain nudibranchs species and common sea stars including the Pisaster genus, prey on these anemones. The Metridium giganteum is not on the IUCN Red List for endangered species Appearance of a Sea Anemone: The Giant White-Plumed Anemone or Giant Plumose Anemone usually comes in white, although brown and brick red-orange varieties have been found. The brown ones are usually found in California waters and the other colors are located in the Pacific Northwest areas. The pedal column has a sticky foot that the anemone can use to adhere to surfaces. The pedal column also has little "threads" that can shoot nematocysts in defense if it so desires. Supposedly, human skin is not affected, but the eyes and tongue will suffer, so licking them would be a bad idea! Tentacles are long and skinny and can number to 100 in larger animals. They appear soft and fluffy, looking like a feather plume or a powder puff. The oral disc is lobed only on the edges and it is smoother in the center area. The mouth should be closed and tight, and will open when hungry, having an oval look, yet a gaping mouth is a warning signal. The M. giganteum take food in, and expel waste through this same opening. Sea Anemones Life Cycles: Giant White-Plumed Anemone can reach up to 3 feet tall (1 m) but are usually 1.6' (50 cm) with the top being almost 10" (25 cm) in diameter. They can be centuries old, and in captivity, some were over 100 years old before human error caused their captive demise. Sea Anemone Care: This anemone is rarely available for sale. If you are able to acquire them, the Giant White-Plumed Anemone is moderate to difficult to care for since they must be in cold water and must be in a large enough aquarium to satisfy their ultimate size. A saltwater aquarium should be at least 6 months old and stable before adding a new M. giganteum. When choosing your Giant White-Plumed Anemone, make sure the color is good, their mouth is not gaping open, and their foot and tentacles are sticky to the touch. Also, they should be attached to something and make sure there is no damage to the foot area, often a result of pulling the anemone off its surface. To take a M. giganteum anemone from another aquarium, use a very thin blunt item like a credit card to get under the foot. Slowly nudging it away will get the anemone off the glass. If its attached to a rock, ideally you can simply purchase the rock as well. if you cannot purchase the rock then directing water at it or wiggling the rock gently upside down under water while tickling the foot can work. What Do Sea Anemones Eat: The Giant White-Plumed Anemone or Giant Plumose Anemone is a carnivore. In nature they use their flower-like tentacles to sting and capture prey, feeding on the small plankton in the water column. Feeding in captivity should be similar to their habitat's provisions. Feed several forms of plankton, including cyclopeeze and similar sized foods along with finely minced crustacean flesh. Feed 2 time a week or more depending on the size of the animal. Water changes of 10% bi-monthly or 20% a month are typical. Monitor your water quality for your particular situation and adjust your water changes accordingly. one average sized young anemone 2" to 4" is equal to 2 or 3 fish as far as waste production is concerned. Purigen and Poly-fiber are great products to help in maintaining water quality. Purigen is a synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at an exceptionally high rate and capacity, helping to control ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Additions of Iodine and and trace elements are suggested. The typical reef environment is what is needed for your Giant White-Plumed Anemone; i.e. live rock in a reef environment for cold water. They need live rock or some other solid material they can attach to. This is a cold water anemone and a chiller is needed to provide the proper environment , unless you live where it is very cold year round. Be sure to have all of your pumps covered, most good quality pumps have guards on them and are worth the investment.
Compatibility and Social Behaviors The Metridium genus are semi-aggressive because they can be mobile and can sting stationary corals. It has often been suggested to not put anemones in a reef environment since corals cannot move away from the stinging tentacles. Once you get your Giant White-Plumed Anemone situated and it has not moved for several months, it might be safe to add other corals. This would be a "proceed at your own risk". Keep this in mind when stocking sessile inverts. After splitting, anemones will tolerate their own "clones" and sometimes their own species. If housing a different genus, they need to be at least 2-3 feet away from each other. Otherwise there will be "chemical" warfare with other species of anemones. This will usually cause one type of anemone to not eat, shrink and eventually die. No sexual difference in appearance is known. There is no information as of yet on propagation of the M. giganteum. The Metridium genus reproduce sexually. They do release sperm and eggs into the water column, yet this will seldom be seen in captivity. They reproduce in this manner releasing male and female sex glands into the water where fertilization takes place. This results in the production of ciliated planula larvae. This planula will eventually fall to the sea floor, develop a pedal disk, then begin to grow into a new anemone. This genus can also reproduce asexually by laceration and fission. Laceration is when they move over a surface and leave chunks of themselves behind. These pieces eventually form into a new anemone. Fission is when they split in half forming 2 smaller versions of themselves. Problems for the Giant White-Plumed Anemone are pretty minimal unless your lighting, water movement, feeding and water quality are low. Then your anemone will detach to look for "better conditions." This usually results in an unpleasant experience with a water pump. Sea Anemone Predators: Giant White-Plumed Anemones do have predators in the wild. Certain nudibranchs species and common sea stars including the Pisaster genus, prey on these anemones. Buy Sea Anemone: The Giant White-Plumed Anemone, as well as other species in the Metridium genus are very rarely for sale making them generally unavailable to aquarists. Collection in some areas may be restricted. So before collecting them, be sure to check with local authorities in the area you are in to find out if they are protected there.
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