Radianthus malu

Identification: tentacles short (rarely over 40 mm), swollen, of irregular length even within one row, the tip often marked by a purple dot, sometimes green. The oral disc stays visible, often radially striped. Column pale cream or yellow, sometimes blotched deep yellow or orange, with sticky verrucae that hold debris. It looks like a cross between Entacmaea quadricolor (no verrucae) and R. crispa (long, dense tentacles). In the trade the name “sebae” is also applied to it.

In the wild it lives in sand pockets in or near reefs and other calm sandy bottoms, mostly in shallow water. When disturbed it retracts completely into the sand. It is the only host anemone that reaches Hawaii.

Biology: reproduction thought to be sexual only; individuals usually solitary. Only Amphiprion clarkii is associated with it, mostly juveniles; it may be a last-resort host for this very unselective fish. It also shelters juvenile Dascyllus trimaculatus, and in Hawaii juvenile Dascyllus albisella. Not evaluated by the IUCN, not CITES-listed.