Description

 Actinothoe sphyrodeta is a soft, delicate, small anemone. The column is usually short with the base being wider than the column, but the column can also form a tall, neat pillar. The tentacles are translucent white, stout at the base, tapering to fine points, and are irregularly arranged numbering up to 120. The diameter of the base can reach 2 cm, whilst the span of the tentacles may reach up to 3 cm across the disc. Shore specimens may only be half this size. The disc may be either a patchy white or bright yellow/pale orange in colour and usually has vague dark markings surrounding the tentacle bases. The column is smooth and an uneven translucent, dirty white or greyish colour with longitudinal patches of pure white tending to form stripes (giving the common name). Dark dots (cinclides) occur on the upper part of the column.May be confused with Sagartia elegans but Actinothoe sphyrodeta lacks the adhesive spots (suckers) on the column present on Sagartia elegans. The suckers should not be confused with the cinclides (see Manuel, 1988).