A sea anemone is a carnivore that stays in one place attached to a rock by a sticky foot. It has tentacles that can sting the unwary, and so give it protection as well as paralyse its prey. Once paralysed, the prey – mostly small fish and shrimps - is passed down to its mouth, which is in the centre of the tentacles.

If the sea anemone is threatened by something large, or if it is in a rock pool where the tide goes out, it can draw back into its rubbery covering.