Occurring widely across the tropical Info-Pacific, the Bubble-tip Anemone Entacmaea quadricolor is often observed in brightly-lit, shallow waters attached to a rocky substrate. In such situations, large aggregations of individual anemones can occur, sometimes giving the impression of one massive single organism. Colonies in these areas are reported to be more likely to have the bulb-shaped tentacle tips that give them their common name. They are also found in deeper water, but here they are more likely (though not guaranteed) to be large, solitary individuals with long stringy tentacles. Although not known for sure, the reason for this difference in form is thought to be primarily due to lighting conditions. As each anemone harbours photosynthetic algae within its tissues, it is possible that tentacle shape is used in the regulation of this process.
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