Actiniaria.com

Many photos in the Internet labeled Urticina crassicornis (or Tealia crassicornis) are wrongly identified and show another Pacific species: Urticina grebelnyi (known also as Christmas anemone or Painted anemone). Two species have nothing in common and it is hard to understand why and how they can be confused.

The most important distinguishing feature of Urticina crassicornis is absolutely smooth column (body) - see photos below: they show no any traces of large tubercles or vesicles we see on many photos labeled Christmas anemone or Painted anemone. Christmas or Painted anemone is covered by numerous vesicles, vesicles are especially clearly visible on contracted specimens. These two species have different color pattern. Christmas anemone is NOT an Urticina crassicornis, but belongs to another species: Urticina grebelnyi.

The typical specimens of Urticina crassicornis are up to 10 cm high and with a tentacular crown up to 10 cm diameter and the column about 6-7 cm diameter. The color is variable, although most specimens range from plain reddish-brown to pale orange. Some specimens are deep-red with irregular longitudinal green patches or strips. The column is smooth, without traces of verrucae or vesicles, and is always clear, without attached sand or other foreign particles. The oral disk is much paler than the column, usually yellowish or whitish. Short thin red radial bands outline the tentacle bases; the region around the mouth may be reddish, and otherwise the colour of the oral disk is plain. The tentacles, of the same colour as the disk, are plain-colored, without bands or other markings.