A large anemone with long, tapering tentacles that curl and twist rather than lying straight, often flushed purple or pink towards the tips. The column is tough and leathery - the character behind the name - and is normally buried in sand or rubble with only the crown showing, disc up to about 50 cm (20 in).
Unlike the magnificent anemone, which perches on top of coral, this one takes the spaces between coral heads and can withdraw entirely below the surface when disturbed. It hosts clownfish too, and is the anemone most often occupied by juveniles - a young clownfish frequently starts life here before moving to a different species as an adult. Feeding combines stinging capture of drifting animals with sugars from symbiotic algae in the tentacles. It has moved genus alongside the magnificent anemone and is now Radianthus crispa, though the older Heteractis name is what most guides still print.
- long tapering tentacles, often purple or pink at the tips
- tough leathery column, usually buried in sand
- tentacles frequently curl and twist rather than lying straight
- disc up to 50 cm across
