scubaseason

Jewel Anemone

Corynactis viridis

Sighting evidence at St David's Head, Wales (Pembrokeshire)

St David's Head's shaded rock faces and overhangs are encrusted in dense colonies of jewel anemones, each just 1 to 2 cm across but aggregating in thousands to create an otherworldly carpet of colour ranging from vivid purple to electric orange and lime green. They are clonal colonial animals that reproduce by splitting, so patches of identical colour indicate genetically identical individuals. The tidal races of the headland deliver constant zooplankton to keep their extended tentacles perpetually feeding.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Jewel Anemone is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Also seen at other sites