Invertebrates
Venus Flytrap Anemone
Actinoscyphia · also called flytrap anemone
Named for a plant found nowhere near the deep seafloor it calls home, a venus flytrap anemone folds its ring of tentacles shut around anything unlucky enough to brush against it, a slow, stationary predator with an unmistakably plant-like closing motion.
Overview
The venus flytrap anemone, genus Actinoscyphia, is a stationary predator native to deep ocean habitat recorded across multiple ocean basins worldwide. Its distinctive tentacle-closing motion reminiscent of the carnivorous land plant it is named for, deep-seafloor attachment, and patient ambush hunting style make it one of the more visually memorable cnidarians found anywhere in the deep sea.
A closing trap borrowed in name only
Despite sharing a name and a closing motion with a carnivorous land plant, the venus flytrap anemone is an entirely unrelated marine animal, its tentacle-folding trap evolved independently to solve the same basic problem of capturing prey that wanders too close.
Status
Not Evaluated, though population trends remain largely unknown given the difficulty of surveying deep-sea habitat.
Venus Flytrap Anemone: common questions
Why is it called the venus flytrap anemone?
This genus can fold its ring of tentacles inward around passing prey, a closing motion that closely resembles the trap of the venus flytrap plant found on land, giving the anemone its common name despite being an entirely different kind of organism.
Does the venus flytrap anemone actively hunt for food?
No, this genus is a slow-moving, largely stationary predator, relying on prey brushing against its tentacles rather than actively pursuing anything, closing its tentacles only once contact has already been made.
Where does the venus flytrap anemone live?
This genus typically attaches itself to hard surfaces on the deep seafloor, including rocks and the remains of other organisms, at significant ocean depth far below where sunlight penetrates.
What does the venus flytrap anemone look like when it is not feeding?
This genus has a flattened, disc-shaped oral surface ringed with tentacles when open, only folding into its more rounded, closed shape once it has captured prey within its tentacles.