Saddle Carpet Anemone

Stichodactyla haddoni

Identification	A large carpet anemone with a flat, extremely sticky oral disc densely packed with short, stubby tentacles that give a beaded “carpet” texture, often folded into saddle-like ridges. Comes in striking red, blue and green forms. Also called Haddon’s Carpet or Saddle Anemone.
Maximum Length	to 20″+ across
Origin	Indo-Pacific, buried in sand
Minimum Tank Size	100 Gal.+ with a deep sand bed
Reef Compatibility	With caution — powerful stinger; hosts clownfish

Behavior

A large sand-dwelling carpet anemone that buries its foot deep in the substrate, leaving only the sticky oral disc exposed. It is a potent stinger and an active predator — its grip is strong enough to catch and eat fish that blunder onto it. It hosts several clownfish (Saddleback, Clark’s and others) and needs strong light and a deep sand bed.

Diet & Feeding

Photosynthetic (it hosts zooxanthellae) but also a strong feeder. Target-feed meaty foods — silversides, shrimp and mysis — roughly weekly, along with bright light to fuel it.

Cautions

Extremely sticky and powerfully venomous: it can capture and eat tankmate fish and shrimp, so keep mobile and slow fish well clear, and never house it with delicate species. It can sting your hands. It needs a deep sand bed to anchor; an unhappy one wanders and can be shredded by powerheads (screen your intakes). Demands strong lighting and pristine water — not a beginner animal.