Fluorescent Tube Anemone

Fluorescent Tube Anemone (Pachycerianthus)

Tube anemones are members of the genus Pachycerianthus, and have lovely tentacles. Many tube anemones are fluorescent. That is, they absorb ultraviolet light and re-radiate it as visible light. This may help reduce their exposure to ultraviolet light. The fluorescence is hard to photograph, but it showed up well for this individual in shallow water near Loreto, BC, Mexico. I was using a combination of natural light and strobe light, which may be the key. This one may be a member of the species Pachycerianthus fimbriatus.