Heteractis aurora (Beaded Anemone) Care Guide
Heteractis aurora, the beaded anemone, is a sand-dwelling host anemone whose tentacles carry bead-like swellings; it hosts several clownfish species.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Heteractis aurora, the beaded sea anemone, is a sand-dwelling host anemone. Its broad, flattened oral disc reaches about 250 mm across and is brown or purplish, sometimes with white or brown markings radiating from the centre. The tentacles are up to 50 mm long, may be sticky, and carry the species' distinctive swellings that resemble beads on a string, with up to about 20 beads per tentacle; tentacle tips can show magenta colour. In WoRMS this taxon is treated as Radianthus aurora.
Taxonomy
- Family: Stichodactylidae
- Order: Actiniaria
- Genus: Heteractis
- Scientific name: Heteractis aurora
- WoRMS note: treated as Radianthus aurora
Habitat
The species ranges from Micronesia and Melanesia to East Africa and the Red Sea, and from Australia to the Ryukyu Islands. It lives among coral and along rocky reef edges and slopes, prefers areas with strong currents, and remains partially buried in sediment or sand, retracting into the substrate when threatened.
Reef parameters
- Minimum tank volume: 150 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity (KH): 8-11 dKH
- Substrate: sand bed for burrowing
- Size: 15-30 cm
Diet
As a host anemone it carries zooxanthellae and gains much of its energy through their photosynthesis, requiring good lighting. It supplements this by capturing prey with its tentacles, so occasional feeding with meaty marine foods supports it.
Compatibility
Heteractis aurora is a generalist anemone that hosts about seven anemonefish species, including the barrier reef, Allard's, two-band, Clark's, Mauritian, orange-fin and three-band anemonefish. It is described as a nursery anemone because it rarely hosts sexually mature fish.
Beaded Anemone (Heteractis aurora) Breeding Guide
Overview
Heteractis aurora, the beaded sea anemone, occurs across Indo-Pacific waters in Micronesia and Melanesia to East Africa, including the Red Sea, and from Australia to the Ryukyu Islands. Its longer tentacles contain bead-like swellings, with up to 20 such swellings on a single tentacle, reaching about 50 mm long on a broad flattened oral disc up to 250 mm wide. It lives among coral and along rocky reef edges, often partially buried in sand in areas of strong current, and hosts seven anemonefish species including Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii).
Reproductive Mode
Detailed reproductive data specific to H. aurora are not provided in the consulted source. As a host sea anemone it follows the general reproductive modes documented for sea anemones: sexual release of gametes into the water and asexual division.
Asexual Propagation by Fission
Sea anemones can reproduce asexually by splitting, generating genetically identical clones from a single founder. For Heteractis species this is the only pathway that could plausibly occur in a closed system, although H. aurora is not documented as a frequent spontaneous splitter in the consulted source.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction in sea anemones broadcasts gametes into the water, and fertilization produces swimming planula larvae that disperse before settling. This pelagic larval phase cannot be reproduced in a home aquarium, so sexual reproduction of H. aurora occurs only in the wild or under specialised culture.