Halcampa arctica

Image: SERPENT Media Archive Project
Halcampa arctica

Well, would you look at that. It's a water resistant camp fire! Whatever will they think of next?

It also happens to be a sea anemone called Halcampa arctica.

Image: Hexacorallians of the World
There's more to it than the crown of tentacles

Do you remember a relative of theirs called Edwardsiella andrillae? They were strange, ghostly white sea anemones that were found embedded in the underside of Antarctic ice. Their tentacles dangled down into the cold water to catch tiny prey.

Halcampa arctica is the complete opposite! They live on the other side of the world and the other end of the water column. Their bodies are nestled in the sandy bottom of the Arctic Ocean as their tentacles reach up into the waters above.

They're also flesh-red rather than ghost-white. I thought angels and demons had wings. In retrospect, of course they have tentacles. Tentacles are GREAT!

Image: SERPENT Media Archive Project

The main body of these burrowing sea anemones is surprisingly long and reaches deep into the sea floor.

It'll take more than a gust of wind or an ocean current to put out this fire!