While sea anemones are closely related to corals, sea anemones are in fact something different altogether. They fall under the phylum cnidaria which incidentally is a group that includes jellyfish as well. And they all have one thing in common. They all utilize specialized stinging cells as a means of capturing their prey.

While most jellyfish rely solely on prey for food, anemones do not. They have symbiotic zooxanthellae which are a type of plant cell that lives in the anemone. These microscopic plant cells are photosynthetic in nature and can feed the anemone through the byproducts of photosynthesis. It is what gives the anemone its color which can range from brown, red, blue, purple and green to name a few.

Bleached anemones, which are anemones that are all white are usually anemones that have expelled their zooxanthellae due to stress or other external factors and are normally on the brink of death. They cannot survive solely on captured prey as their primary source of energy comes from the plant cells themselves.

There is also one crucial difference between anemones and corals in general. Anemones can move. They will often move about the aquarium seeking an ideal spot for settle down in.

The various sea anemone species are too numerous to list out. Suffice to say, i will be creating hubpages specifically for the popular ones. In this hub, i will be covering some popular types of sea anemones that pop up now and again in the marine aquarium industry as well as anemone pests.

But before we get into that, lets delve further on the topic of sea anemones and the marine aquarium trade. Why are anemones so heavily collected for this industry? Two reasons.

1) They're attractive

2) Clownfish

Yep, they sure are pretty and colorful. But that isn't the main reason why so many are being collected. The popularity of clownfish has something to do with it as well. Most people that buy clownfish want an anemone host for them not realizing that an anemone host isn't necessary. The clownfish does just fine without one.

So whats the problem with bringing sea anemones into the trade en masse? The problem is their mortality rates. They die easily because most hobbyists cannot fulfill the requirements essential to the continued survival of anemones in captivity. For they most part, they need good water quality, strong water flow and intense lighting. Something the vast majority of enthusiasts perhaps cannot claim to have.

And it is a shame that they die so often because in the wild they are some the few creatures that perhaps can claim immortality. If conditions are perfect and they get enough food, they essentially don't die. They just grow to their maximum sizes and maintain it all the way through while they split into different colonies along the way.

But enough with the depressing stuff. On the top anemones in the hobby.

Listed below are the top selling anemones in the saltwater aquarium industry :-

Carpet Anemone 

There are two kinds of carpets available for purchase. S.Haddoni and S.Gigantea. Hadonni carpets are the more attractive ones as they come in a myriad of colors. They also pack a strong sting. Gigantea is considered a true carpet anemone unlike Haddoni's. They are the true giants of the anemone world with specimens able to reach 3 feet in diameter or larger.

Rose Bubble Tip Anemone

Scientific name, E.Quadricolor.

A very attractive anemone that commands a high price. From my experiences, it likes to roam around the tank a lot. Commonly called RBTA.

The RBTA is a bubble tip anemone variant. Comes in other colors from green to tan.

Those variants are much cheaper than the red ones.

Sebae Anemone

Scientific name, H.Crispa.

A very popular anemone. Commonly colored white/faint yellow throughout with blue or purple tips at the end of their tentacles.

Comes in a full pink variant that commands very high prices. Normal sebae's are relatively cheap and abundant.

Condylactis Anemone

Scientific name Condylactis Gigantea.

A very common and exceptionally cheap anemone to purchase.

One of the few listed here that is not a natural host to clownfish in the wild.

Commonly colored white throughout with purple tips but other variants have been reported.

Long Tentacle Anemone

Scientific name, Macrodactyla Doreensis.

The tentacles on this anemone are spaced pretty far apart, which is unique among anemones.

A big one, can reach more than a foot and a half so prepare a suitably sized tank for it.

Some variants have red or orange at the base.

Riterri Anemone

Scientific Name, Heteractis Magnifica.

This bad boy usually costs more than regular offerings, expect to pay up to 80 dollars for one.

The ritteri anemone is one of the larger ones topping out at about 3 feet in diameter.

Has a strong sting and can roam about frequently until it is satisfied with its spot.

Not all anemones are desirable. Some of them are huge pests that plague a great many marine aquarists.

There are two of them and they go by the names, Aiptasia and Majano.

In larger aquariums where they've spread out quite extensively, they can be hell to get rid off.

Strangely enough, while most people in the hobby are trying their best to maintain their anemones with good flow, good water quality and intense lighting, along comes these two pests that can thrive in the toughest conditions.

They spread like wildfire, can adapt to a variety of temperatures and water qualities and require zero maintenance.

Because they are such a common menace, a variety of products and creatures are being sold on the market specifically to deal with them.

Joe's Juice is a famous product that is supposed to kill them. Simply squirt in this magix elixir into the mouth of the anemone and they will perish. At least thats what they claim. But from what i've heard, they work pretty well.

Some marine creatures that deal with these pests include peppermint shrimp, scats (a type of brackish fish), some nudibranches (Sea slugs), some butterfly fish as well as several file fishes.