Panamanian Clubbed Anemone, Telmatactis panamensis
Panamanian Clubbed Anemone, Telmatactis panamensis. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, January 2026. Photographs and identifications courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.
Phylogeny: The Panamanian Clubbed Anemone, Telmatactis panamensis (Verrill, 1869), is a member of the Actiniaria Order and Andvakiidae Family of Club Tip Sea Anemones. The Telmatactis Genus is one eleven genera in the Andvakiidae Family, and there are twenty-nine species in the Telmatactis Genus.
Morphology: The Panamanian Clubbed Anemone is a small anemone with bilaterally body symmetry that has a cylindrical elongated column that is 5 mm to 2.0 cm in diameter and 5 mm to 2.5 cm in height, and it is divided into a scapulus and scapus. The scapulus is short and thick-walled, with a finely wrinkled epidermis, and a translucent pale orange color; the scapus is smooth but rough in appearance due to the cuticle and a sand covering, and pale orange to beige or brownish in color. The column tapers to the base that has a faint irregularly shaped pedal disc and is orange in color. The acontia is white. The oral disc is flat, smooth and wide and is light orange to brown color spotted with scattered beige marks. Their mouth is small, surrounded by concentric circles, and beige in color at the margins. They have 48 to 96 short soft simple reddish-brown tentacles that have a proximal white crossband that are arranged in 4 or 5 cycles with the inner cycles being longer than the outer cycles. They are blunt, with slightly swollen tips, smooth and contractile; they are light brown and “W-shaped” darker marks at their bases.
Habitat and Distribution: The Panamanian Clubbed Anemone are found attached, via their disc, to rocky substrates, under rocks, large stones or shells in the intertidal zone and subtidal zone at depths up to 42 m (140 feet). They are found in water temperatures than range from 19°C (66°F) to 24°C (75°F). They are facultatively mobile animals capable of changing their physical location, but do so only occasionally or in response to specific environmental needs. They are considered to be surficial modifiers being bottom-dwelling animals that rework the uppermost layer of sediment. The Panamanian Clubbed Anemone is found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from the West Coast of the Baja Peninsula.
Diet and Predation: The Panamanian Clubbed Anemone lack zooxanthellae. They are solitary opportunistic polyphagous predators that consume annelids, crustaceans, eggs, mollusks and insects. The predators of the Panamanian Clubbed Anemone have not been well documented however they have the ability to break off parts to flee from predators.
Reproduction: The Panamanian Clubbed Anemone primarily reproduces via dioecious, but they can also reproduce asexually by longitudinal division.
Ecosystem Interactions: The ecosystem interactions of the Panamanian Clubbed Anemone have not been well documented.
Human Interactions: From a conservation perspective the Panamanian Clubbed Anemone has not been formally evaluated. It is fairly common, with a wide range, and should be considered to be of Least Concern. They do not survive in captivity.
Synonyms: Actinostella ornata, Lophactis ornata, Phellia panamensis, Phellia rapanuiensis, Phelliopsis panamensis, Phyllactis ornata, Telmatactis rapanuensis, and Telmatactis rapanuiensis.