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These delicate critters live in tubes they have constructed in soft but not soupy bottom. We find them from about 20 feet deep to as deep as we can go before the light runs out, around 100 feet. These individuals were in about 26 feet.
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Anemone spreading its tentacles
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When these animals sense an intrusion they vanish with implosive suddeness. This individual was quite courageous. We had to place the ROV directly over it before it retreated into its tube. It was in 43 feet of water not more than 50 yards from shore.
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Tube anemone vanishes
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The depth here is about 100 feet. As you can see these deep water tube anemone are sort of ragged looking and have banded tentacles.
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Deep water tube anemone
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Here a mud shrimp appears to be deliberately harassing a tube anemone, which seems to me to be a bad idea. If the anemone should latch onto the shrimp with a tentacle perhaps it could make a meal of it.
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A Strange Occurrence
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I think what is happening here is that the retraction of a tube anemone disturbs one of its neighbors. It appears that a clam or some other squirting critter lies close to the anemone's tube.
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Anemone and a Clam
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Tube anemome curls tentacles