Where
The pedunculate anemone — Isoparactis ferax (Stuckey, 1909) is found in sheltered waters; its full distribution seems unknown within New Zealand. A low-tidal anemone that lives mostly buried in sand with its base attached to the lower surface of a rock. The anemone’s stalk then recurves around the underside of the rock (in a J-shape) and the disc and tentacles of the anemone sit just above the surface.
Identifying features
A small to medium-sized anemone (~30 mm across), with an elongated white stalk with brown speckled tentacles—much higher than wide when extended. Retracts into a small whitish button when disturbed.
Similar to
This anemone is quite distinctive. Similar habitat to the speckled anemone, but that species is larger, has proportionately broader tentacles, and is wider than high.
Ecology
The pedunculate anemone is another species for which there is very limited knowledge. Morton & Miller (1968) describe it in their book, The New Zealand Seashore, as living under stones in patched of poorly aerated sediment, its long pedunculate stalk enabling it pass through this sediment to the surface. Being partially buried like this would protect the anemone, as its stalk would be buried in sediment without oxygen, making it inhospitable for burrowing predators. It also enables the anemone to avoid predation by withdrawing into the burrow created by the extended stalk, thus further protecting the anemone.
From under a stone at low tide, Tamaki Drive, Auckland, October 2015. The tentacles were only partially extended.
Isoparactis ferax with tentacles fully extended. From under a stone at low tide, Pilot Bay, Mt. Maunganui, November 2017.
This rather dodgy photo shows a pedunculate anemone in muddy sand along Musick Point, Tamaki Estuary, Auckland, January 2017. This is usually how you see them when they are extended. It’s about 20mm in diameter.
Intertidal sea anemones (Actinaria) 