Venus Flytrap Anemone

Venus Flytrap Anemone (Actinoscyphia sp.)

The Venus Flytrap Anemone resembles the carnivorous plant found on land. It is a member of the family Actinoscyphiidae, but it is unknown as to how many species there are. This anemone was seen at Slope Base at a depth of 2900 m rooted in the sediment on the seafloor. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1757; V14

The Venus Flytrap Anemone resembles the carnivorous plant found on land, with short tentacles surrounding a folded, concave oral disk. They can be found in every ocean basin, attached to a variety of hard substrates on the seafloor, including the OOI infrastructure! These anemones wait for food to drift into their tentacles lined with stinging cells called nematocysts.

There are numerous deep-sea species in the genus Actinoscyphia, and we see various types at the Slope Base site in 2900 meters of water.

References:
Marine Life Field Guide (Neptune Canada)
http://www.deepseanews.com/2008/10/the-27-best-deep-sea-species-18-venus-fly-trap-anemone/
http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/venus-fly-trap-anemone-gulf-mexico

A Flytrap Anemone clings to the Sea Cube biological experiment that was deployed on the sea floor in 2020. Credit: J. Willson, University of Washington, V21.
A Flytrap Anemone clings to the Sea Cube biological experiment that was deployed on the sea floor in 2020. Credit: J. Willson, University of Washington, V21.
A squat lobster and venus flytraps cover a tripod at 2900 m at the Slope Base site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V21.
A squat lobster and venus flytraps cover a tripod at 2900 m at the Slope Base site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V21.
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The Venus Flytrap Anemone resembles the carnivorous plant found on land. It is a member of the family “Actinoscyphiidae”, but it is unknown as to how many species there are. This anemone was seen at Slope Base at a depth of 2900 m rooted in the sediment on the seafloor. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1757; V14
The Venus Flytrap Anemone resembles the carnivorous plant found on land. It is a member of the family “Actinoscyphiidae”, but it is unknown as to how many species there are. This anemone was seen at Slope Base at a depth of 2900 m rooted in the sediment on the seafloor. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1757; V14
A Venus Flytrap anemone and another deep-sea anemone sharing the same stalk next to wire RS01W6, near the Slope Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.
A Venus Flytrap anemone and another deep-sea anemone sharing the same stalk next to wire RS01W6, near the Slope Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.
An echinothuriid sea urchin encountered following the wire during a survey of the cable lay by ROPOS. A Venus Flytrap Anemone can be seen in the lower right quadrant. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.
An echinothuriid sea urchin encountered following the wire during a survey of the cable lay by ROPOS. A Venus Flytrap Anemone can be seen in the lower right quadrant. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.
A rattail fish (Grenadier) investigates two pressure sensors at 9500 ft water depth at the sedimented Slope Base site. The one in the background has been equilibrating since 2017 on the seafloor. Venus fly-trap like anenomies have colonized the cables that allow data to flow to shore in real-time, and a feeding sea star is on the dusty, 2014 sensor. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.
A rattail fish (Grenadier) investigates two pressure sensors at 9500 ft water depth at the sedimented Slope Base site. The one in the background has been equilibrating since 2017 on the seafloor. Venus fly-trap like anenomies have colonized the cables that allow data to flow to shore in real-time, and a feeding sea star is on the dusty, 2014 sensor. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.
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A flytrap anemone (Actinoscyphia sp.) attached itself to the W6 cable connector on one of the Slope Base junction boxes. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/WHOI; Dive J2-1617; V24
Venus flytraps colonize a current meter a 9500 ft at the Slope Base site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1608; V24.
Venus flytraps colonize a current meter a 9500 ft at the Slope Base site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1608; V24.
Top portion of the photo shows asea cucumber swimming away after Jason scared it and avenus flytrap and squat lobster on an extension cable. Credit: E. Albines, Queens College, V24
Top portion of the photo shows asea cucumber swimming away after Jason scared it and avenus flytrap and squat lobster on an extension cable. Credit: E. Albines, Queens College, V24
Flytrap Anemone (so-named for obvious reasons) attached to a glass sponge stalk at 2900 meters depth, off the coast of Oregon. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1182, V19
Flytrap Anemone (so-named for obvious reasons) attached to a glass sponge stalk at 2900 meters depth, off the coast of Oregon. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1182, V19
A pudgy cusk eel (Spectrunculus grandis) swimming by a marker with flytrap anemones attached to it at Slope Base (2900 meters) in 2019. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1182, V19
A pudgy cusk eel (Spectrunculus grandis) swimming by a marker with flytrap anemones attached to it at Slope Base (2900 meters) in 2019. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1182, V19
Looking down on a galatheid crab sitting on the rope attached to a marker next to the anchor of the Slope Base profiler mooring in 2900 meters (~9500 feet) of water. A number of venus flytrap anemones are also attached to the hard surfaces here. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2258, V22
Looking down on a galatheid crab sitting on the rope attached to a marker next to the anchor of the Slope Base profiler mooring in 2900 meters (~9500 feet) of water. A number of venus flytrap anemones are also attached to the hard surfaces here. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2258, V22
Looking down on a galatheid crab sitting on the rope attached to a marker next to the anchor of the Slope Base profiler mooring in 2900 meters (~9500 feet) of water. A number of venus flytrap anemones are also attached to the hard surfaces here. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2258, V22
Looking down on a galatheid crab sitting on the rope attached to a marker next to the anchor of the Slope Base profiler mooring in 2900 meters (~9500 feet) of water. A number of venus flytrap anemones are also attached to the hard surfaces here. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2258, V22
A unique community of invertebrates gathered around the anchor of the Slope Base profiler mooring in 2900 meters (~9500 feet) of water, including a Bathydoris nudibranch, flytrap anemones, galatheid crabs, and sea cucumbers. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2258, V22
A unique community of invertebrates gathered around the anchor of the Slope Base profiler mooring in 2900 meters (~9500 feet) of water, including a Bathydoris nudibranch, flytrap anemones, galatheid crabs, and sea cucumbers. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R2258, V22