Cluster Anemone

About

The cluster anemone (Parazoanthus anguicomus) is a colonial zoanthid native to the Eastern North Atlantic and European marine waters, where it typically colonizes rocky substrates and hard surfaces in relatively dim, cool conditions. Despite the common name, it is not a true anemone but rather a soft colonial organism whose individual polyps cluster together in groups, each one small and pale, often creamy white or yellowish in tone. That massed, soft appearance gives colonies a delicate, almost feathery look that stands apart from the bolder colors you see in tropical reef zoanthids. In the aquarium, it appreciates low light, which makes it an interesting option for shaded spots in a reef tank where many other corals simply would not thrive. Moderate water movement seems to keep it healthy without blasting the polyps around. Because this species comes from temperate Atlantic waters rather than tropical reefs, getting its conditions right takes a bit more thought than your average zoanthid, so it tends to suit keepers who already have some reef experience under their belt. It is considered reef safe, and its colonial growth habit means a well-situated colony can gradually spread across available rockwork over time.