The painted anemone (also called the Christmas anemone) is a beautiful sight to behold in the intertidal zones of the Pacific Coast. Its green trunk splattered with vibrant red splashes makes it easily recognizable along the coastlines during low tides. It is common in the intertidal areas from the coasts of California all the way to the coasts of Alaska.

Urticina crassicornis (formerly named Tealia crassicornis) is a member of the Phylum Cnidaria, which makes up the Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, and the Anthozoa classes. Urticina crassicornis belongs to this latter class, which has over 6000 identified species in it, making it the largest of the Cnidarian classes. Anthozoans are known for their dominant polyp stage. Anemones will remain in this polyp stage throughout their entire life cyle, unlike the other classes of the Phylum Cnidaria which are polymorphic.
 

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Copyright 2002 Karlee Markovich