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Sebae Anemone / Leathery Sea Anemone
Radianthus crispa
A renowned host anemone with long, flowing tentacles and a leathery column. It requires intense lighting, strong flow, and pristine water stability.
Class:Anthozoa
Order:Actiniaria
Family:Stichodactylidae
Genus:Radianthus
Species:Radianthus crispa
Formerly known as:Heteractis crispa
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Water Temperature
22 - 26 °C
pH Value
8.1 - 8.4
Water type
Marine
Minimum group
>= 1
KH
8 - 12 dKH
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East African coast to French Polynesia. It colonizes shallow sandy reef flats, tidal pools, and outer slopes exposed to intense sunlight.
Taxonomy: Belongs to the Anthozoa class, order Actiniaria, family Stichodactylidae. Commonly known as the Sebae Anemone. It is distinguished by its tough, leathery column covered in adhesive verrucae used to anchor itself into the sand.
Social Behavior: Sessile organism, though capable of moving slowly to find optimal lighting and flow. It hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae within its tissues and forms mutualistic relationships with various anemonefish and porcelain crabs.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Long, tapered tentacles colored white, gray, violet, or green, often tipped with bright purple or pink. There is no visible sexual dimorphism; reproduction occurs either sexually via spawning or asexually through division.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Tank Setup: Requires a mature marine aquarium (established for at least 6-12 months) of at least 250 liters (65 gallons). A deep sand bed of fine sand (8-10 cm / 3-4 inches) is essential for pedal disk anchorage, surrounded by stable live rocks.
Diet and Feeding: Derives most of its energy from the photosynthesis of its zooxanthellae under high-output lighting. It is essential to supplement weekly with small pieces of fresh meaty food like shrimp, mysis, or chopped fish placed directly on the tentacles.
Water Quality: Keep parameters pristine and highly stable: temperature 24-26°C (75-79°F), pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.023-1.025. Nitrate and phosphate levels must be near zero, with balanced calcium and magnesium. Extremely sensitive to copper.
Compatibility and Tankmates: Excellent host for clownfish species like Amphiprion clarkii or Amphiprion latezonatus. Exercise caution with nearby corals, as its stinging tentacles can severely damage them if the anemone decides to migrate.
Aquarium Breeding: Sexual reproduction via gamete release is very rare in captivity. Asexual division (fission) can occur under stable conditions and proper feeding, but it is a slow, delicate process that should not be forced.
Risks and Diseases: High risk of bleaching (loss of zooxanthellae) due to thermal stress or inadequate lighting. Anemones can get sucked into unprotected powerheads, which usually results in the death of the animal and a toxic crash of the entire aquarium.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Widely distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East African coast to French Polynesia. It colonizes shallow sandy reef flats, tidal pools, and outer slopes exposed to intense sunlight.
Origin
Tropical oceans and reefsAfrica and Madagascar
Invertebrate profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Ecological role
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- No verified data available
- Jump risk
- No verified data available
- Shock sensitivity
- No verified data available
- Calcium and minerals
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Compatibility & tankmates
- No verified data available
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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