Urticina lofotensis
Urticina lofotensis was first discovered by Danielsen in 1890. It inhabits an area from the eastern Pacific Ocean to the coast of Alaska. This anemone is not on the verge of extinction. Snow Urticina lofotensis are found both singly and in small groups attached to sheer rocks, at depths of 1 to 25 m. They use their poison cells or nematocysts contained in their tentacles to sting and fight back if their lives are threatened, but mostly use them for sustenance. These anemones are almost impossible to find in retail pet stores and this is due to the difficulty of caring for them because they need to be kept in cold water.
Urticina lofotensis is a very beautiful anemone that has a pronounced red midrib decorated with numerous white dots, which is why it is also called a strawberry anemone, for its resemblance to strawberries. The tentacles are strong and arranged in 5 or more rows around the mouth. The color of the tentacles can be light gray, white, red, or orange, and each tentacle can have all colors at once. The tentacles are thicker at the base and thinner at the top. The unique and attractive coloration makes this anemone one of the easiest to identify. It is also quite small in size - up to 10 cm in diameter and up to 15 cm in height. There are no sex differences in this anemone.
This anemone can make an excellent resident for a cold-water marine aquarium. Keep a snow-white rose anemone can be in an aquarium of 40 liters, but that he appeared in all its glory tank should choose the volume of 200 liters. Before buying an anemone, make sure it has a bright coloring, its mouth is closed and its tentacles are sticky to the touch. Also, the anemone should be attached to something. To call up one of the anemones from another aquarium, use a blunt object, such as a credit card. Gently jiggle the anemone and slowly nudge it away from the glass. If the anemone is attached to a rock, ideally you can purchase it along with it. If you can't buy a rock with the anemone, then direct a stream of water at it or wiggle the rock under water - this will help separate the anemone from it.
To keep a Urticina lofotensis, in addition to cool water, in the aquarium should be placed a living stone or some solid material to which it will be able to attach. You can use rocky rocks with crevices, as well as rocky ledges.
Water parameters: temperature 12.8 - 20° C, salinity 1.023 - 1.025. A small water current in the tank is desirable. Twice a month to replace 1/10 of the aquarium water with fresh. Mechanical and chemical water filtration is also required. Equip the aquarium with a quality skimmer.
Lighting is preferably low. Duration of daylight hours of about 10 hours per day.
The menu anemone in natural conditions consists of sea urchins, small fish, crabs and mussels. In aquarium conditions anemone is fed meat of shrimp, mussels and fish. Feed them once a week or twice a month. This frequency of feeding is due to the fact that these anemones live in cold water and they have a much slower metabolism.
The lifespan of anemones is not fully understood. They are believed to live from 60 to 80 years in the wild.
Reproduction
Like other cold-water anemones, the Urticina lofotensis reproduces by fission or external fertilization of the egg and sperm. The breeding period falls between April and May. During this time, the anemone produces many larvae, which are carried away by the current and subsequently settle on a rocky substrate, become attached to it and become a new anemone.
