Cloak Anemone Adamsia carciniopados
The cloak anemone lives with its wide base wrapped around the shell of a hermit crab and its tentacles trailing beneath the crab’s head. In this position, the tentacles are ideally placed to pick up food scraps. The enveloping column of the cloak anemone is off-white with distinct pink spots. Neither partner thrives without the other, though young cloak anemones can be found on rocks and shells between the tidemarks waiting to find a host.
The Cloak Anemone as Armored Vehicle
The hermit crab Pagurus prideaux is always seen with its protective anemone cloak. It does not have to find a bigger shell as it grows because the cloak anemone secretes a horny extension.
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- Class Anthozoa
- Diameter 2 in (5 cm)
- Depth 0–650 ft (0–200 m)
- Habitat Hermit crab shells
- Distribution Temperate waters of northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
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