Cerianthus sp.
Encounter Rate
Spotting Difficulty
Best Season
Year-round
Depth Range
5-40 meters
The tube anemone is one of Komodo's most beautiful and ethereal nocturnal invertebrates, a slender, burrowing anemone that creates a parchment-like tube in the sandy substrate from which it extends a spectacular crown of long, delicate tentacles in two distinct rings. The outer ring consists of long, flowing tentacles that can extend up to 30 centimetres, waving gracefully in the current to capture zooplankton, while the inner ring of shorter tentacles surrounds the central mouth and manipulates captured prey. Tube anemones come in a remarkable variety of colours including purple, green, orange, pink, and bicoloured combinations, and they fluoresce brilliantly under ultraviolet light — making them a favourite subject for fluorescence night photography. In Komodo, tube anemones are found on sandy and silty substrates at moderate depths, emerging from their tubes primarily at night when their food supply of zooplankton is most abundant. They retract instantly into their tube at the slightest disturbance, pulling their entire tentacle crown below the sand in a fraction of a second. Despite their resemblance to true sea anemones, tube anemones belong to a different order (Ceriantharia) and are only distantly related.
Average Size
15-20cm tentacle crown diameter
Size Range
5-30cm tentacle crown diameter
Maximum Size
30cm tentacle crown diameter, tube up to 1m long
Filter feeder and predator that captures zooplankton and small organisms using stinging tentacles. The outer ring of tentacles sweeps the water while inner tentacles transfer captured prey to the mouth.
The tube anemone is one of Komodo's most beautiful and ethereal nocturnal invertebrates, a slender, burrowing anemone that creates a parchment-like tube in the sandy substrate from which it extends a spectacular crown of long, delicate tentacles in two distinct rings. The outer ring consists of long, flowing tentacles that can extend up to 30 centimetres, waving gracefully in the current to capture zooplankton, while the inner ring of shorter tentacles surrounds the central mouth and manipulates captured prey. Tube anemones come in a remarkable variety of colours including purple, green, orange, pink, and bicoloured combinations, and they fluoresce brilliantly under ultraviolet light — making them a favourite subject for fluorescence night photography. In Komodo, tube anemones are found on sandy and silty substrates at moderate depths, emerging from their tubes primarily at night when their food supply of zooplankton is most abundant. They retract instantly into their tube at the slightest disturbance, pulling their entire tentacle crown below the sand in a fraction of a second. Despite their resemblance to true sea anemones, tube anemones belong to a different order (Ceriantharia) and are only distantly related.
This species plays an important role in the marine ecosystem of Komodo National Park. Responsible diving practices help protect these animals and their habitat for future generations.
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They are primarily nocturnal, extending their tentacles after dark. Night dives at sandy sites offer the best encounters. Some individuals may partially extend during the day in darker or deeper areas, but the full display is a night-time spectacle.
