Anemonia sulcata

Anemonia sulcata is a species of cnidarian anthozoan of the Actiniidae family. In Spain it is called common sea anemone (as to the species Anemonia viridis); In Andalusia they call it ortiguilla or sea nettle. In Spain it is admitted as a fishing and aquaculture species.

Description

It is a small marine animal, with hive cells to hunt small fish and shellfish, which it catches with the tentacles it has on its upper part. Cylindrical in shape, it is about 6 cm high and 3 cm wide. It lives attached to underwater rocks at its base.

Distribution and habitat

It is typical of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, found on rocky coasts. It is the most common actinide in the Mediterranean.

Anemonia sulcata is one of the species that we can most easily keep in a geographic aquarium in the Mediterranean or coastal region. This type of aquarium uses natural water collected with a high level of oxygen saturation and the presence of carbon dioxide. This gas is important for surface invertebrates like the one in question that carry symbiotic zooxanthellae algae that provide it with nutritional elements and give it its typical greenish or brownish color.

Behavior

It is an oviparous species, with separation of sexes. It is occasionally found associated with the cambara (Maia verrucosa), the rasposo (Gobius bucchichi), and Leptomysis mediterranea.

Gastronomy

In the sea they have a showy appearance and once taken out, they take on colors of rusty tones and when seen raw their appearance is not pleasant. It is consumed in some coastal areas of the province of Cádiz and the Ebro Delta. Also in Menorca, cited in Fra Francesc Roger's Menorcan cuisine recipe book “Art de la Cuina” from the 19th century XVIII. They are rinsed well, coated in fish frying flour and fried with olive oil. When they are small they are made whole and if they are large they are cut into pieces. They can also be cooked in rice.

Due to the poor preservation capacity they offer, it is a dish that is difficult to find outside of coastal regions. It is a dish that is usually served as a tapa on some occasions. Sometimes it is served with a variety of fried fish. In Italy it is usually marinated in olive oil and then fried until golden. Its aroma is strongly marine. Due to its stinging capacity, marinades are usually prepared macerated with vinegar for some time and after frying they lose that stinging property.