Did you know that anemones can have anywhere from a dozen to a few hundred tentacles?

Sea anemones are named after and resemble flowers, but they’re actually invertebrates related to corals and jellies. Their bodies consist of a soft, cylindrical stalk topped by an oral disc surrounded with venomous tentacles.

At their base, they sport a single adhesive foot, called a basal disc, which they use to attach to underwater surfaces like rocks or shells. Anemones can have anywhere from a dozen to a few hundred tentacles. These cnidarians come in a variety of colors, decorating a tide pool or reef like a garden of wildflowers.

Anemones are known to form symbiotic relationships with other animals; their most well-known alliance is with clownfish. Because of a protective mucous coating, clownfish are immune to an anemone’s stinging cells. They make their homes within the anemone’s tentacles, protected from predators; in return, the anemone eats the clownfish’s leftover meals.

At the National Aquarium, you’ll find 16 different species of sea anemones.

Read on to learn more about anemones!