Cnidarian

Cnidarian is a phylum of strictly freshwater species. This phylum is very versatile and diverse, with species ranging from jellyfish, corals, anemones, and other stingers. Cnidarians are classified by their radial body symmetry with mouths surrounded by tentacles. Their distinguishing feature, however is their cnidocytes, their specialized cells that are used to successfully capture and eat a variety of other marine animals for food.

Species 1:

• Sea Anemone- Actiniaria

Habitat:

• Sea Anemone's are found in coastal waters worldwide, in kelp forests of the deep oceans
• Usually found under rocks or in the sand where it stays cool and damp (they try and avoid direct sunlight)

Niche

• Small fish live in and among the small tentacles of anemone, but are not harmed by them

Adaptation

• Many adaptations have been made to the Sea Anemone's stinging tentacles which have, in turn, made the anemones very successful in terms of habitat range and catching prey/fighting off predation. (3)

Species 2:

Green Sea Anemone - Anthopleura xanthogrammica (2)

Habitat: Near the shore and in shallow water. (2)

Niche: It acts as a home for the algae that live in/on it and helps give it extra food. The green anemone is also a predator of sea urchins, fish, and especially mussles. (1)

Adaptations: This species of Sea Anemone has developed a symbiotic relationship with algae. The anemone benefits from the nutrients the algae makes from photosynthesis, and the algae gets a place to live. They are also able to move with the help of their basal disk, but they are slow and tend to stay in one place. (2)

Life cycle: Refer to life cycle of Species 1