Liponema brevicorne does not always keep the figure of an anemone standing on one foot. Its body and tentacles can contract into a rounded shape, then roll on the bottom under the effect of currents. It recalls a dry plant dragged into the desert.
Researchers interpret this displacement as a possible way to reach more favorable dietary conditions. Once installed, the anemone extends its tentacles to capture the small organisms brought by the water, thanks to their stinging cells.
On the vast muddy bottoms, it also provides support and shelter to other animals, including small crustaceans. The anemone is therefore not necessarily condemned to wait all his life in the same place. It can change its configuration and location, before returning to its usual way of receiving the current.
What we know
Rolling observed; looking for a better food intake formulated as an interpretation.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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