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Oulactis Anemone (with eggs or polyps?)
Oulactis muscosa
-33.4578, 151.442
Field Notes
Description:
The amazing Oulactis Anemone, also commonly known as Sand Anemone and Speckled Anemone, loves to cover itself with sand and shell-grit. This species belongs in the family Actiniidae, and all anemones in the order Actiniaria. It appears that this specimen is ready to reproduce, so are these small, yellow-orange structures eggs or polyps? Or perhaps they have been produced by another type of organism and captured by this anemone? Quoting from the reference link: "Sea anemones breed by liberating sperm and eggs through the mouth into the sea. The resulting fertilized eggs develop into planula larvae which, after being planktonic for a while, settle on the seabed and develop directly into juvenile polyps. Sea anemones also breed asexually, by breaking in half or into smaller pieces which regenerate into polyps." The second image shows these objects clearly, and I doubt they would be mere shell-grit simply because of the uniformity of size and colour, plus the smooth, spherical structure of each. They certainly appear to be organic, but I welcome your thoughts.
Habitat:
Freshly flushed ocean rock pools at North Avoca Beach. This species of anemone can be found in South Australia, Tasmania, NSW and southern Queensland, and also in New Zealand.
Notes:
I didn't notice these small objects at the time, but spotted them whilst viewing this photo on my computer. It's the only photo I took of this specimen and it's not the best quality image, but it will have to do.
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