Keep your friends close and your anemones closer. Ah, too close. Back it up. Nicknamed “the flowers of the sea” for their flowing tentacles and array of colors, sea anemones are actually boneless, predatory invertebrates that share family ties with corals, jellyfish, and other hydrozoa. These sea creatures come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. At lakeclarknps, you may spot the festive glow of the Christmas Anemone (Urticina crassicornis) patiently waiting in its watery tidepool to apply its colorful stinging tentacles to stun and capture their prey. Fa la la la la, la la la la. Ouch. The tentacles eject microscopic harpoon-like barbs when touched, paralyzing prey such as mussels, clams, or snails. Image: Closeup of a Christmas Anemone in a tide pool. NPS/D. Liles #lakeclark #alaska #anemone #sealife #tidepool