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Venus Fly-Trap Anemone in the Gulf of Mexico

Preview Venus fly-trap anemone in the Gulf of Mexico
(I. MacDonald (in Gulf of Mexico–Origin, Waters, and Biota. Vol. 1. Biodiversity. Felder, D. L. and Camp, D. K. (eds.) 2009. Texas A&M Press.)

Like its terrestrial namesake, the Venus fly-trap anemone (Actinoscyphia sp.) sits quietly and waits for food to drift into its outstretched tentacles, which are lined with stinging harpoons called nematocysts. Of course, this is how most anemones behave; this one just happens to look a like like the Venus fly-trap plant! They are deep-sea animals; this one was photographed at roughly 4,900 feet (1500 meters) by researchers with the Census of Marine Life. See more photos from the Census of Marine Life.

Tags: Feeding