Aulactinia veratra
species of cnidarian
Aulactinia veratra, the green snakelock anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae. It is native to the southeastern Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Description
The green snakelock anemone averages about 20 mm (0.8 in) in height, but individuals in some areas have reached 60 mm (2.4 in) when fully extended. The broad column has rows of verrucae (wart-like outgrowths) on its surface to which coarse grains of sand and fragments of shell adhere. The oral disc has a central mouth surrounded by a whorl of long, tapering tentacles with blunt tips, varying in number from 24 to 124. When expanded, both the column and tentacles of this anemone are usually green, but brown or red individuals sometimes occur. When retracted, with the oral disc and tentacles tucked inside the body cavity, green individuals may appear black.
Distribution and habitat
The green snakelock anemone is found in shallow seas around the west, south, and east coasts of Australia, Tasmania and both islands of New Zealand. It is found in the intertidal zone in rock pools, under overhangs, between boulders, and in crevices. The base is firmly attached to a rocky substrate even when the anemone is in a rock pool and appears to be immersed in sand.
The public source identifies “Aulactinia veratra” as species of cnidarian. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Aulactinia, veratra and species.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2658577. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Aulactinia veratra” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.