In NC on the bottom it is not unusual to see tube dwelling anemones. In particular we see a number of nice ones like the Lavender Tube Dwelling Anemone. See the picture below. Not saying it is a Lavender just that it is very similar. On Saturday at 80 ft in clear water but with lots of clouds everything was subdued. I looked about 6 ft to my right and I saw a small object glowing bright yellow and charteus (maybe carmen red). I swam over and looked and it was a small tube dwelling anemone but it was glowing very brightly. The outer parts of every arm was bright with a reddish and some yellow color. The inner "mouth" was glowing brightly with a deep yellow color. It was if it was made up of fiber optic cables. I have over 100 dives in NC coastal waters and I have never seen anything close to this. In fact I have never seen an anemone that was lit up at all much less this brightly.
I took a picture. Second one below. The picture used a flash (should have thought to shoot in natural light). You can see some of the yellow on the inner mouth. Note the tips of the outer tenacles are a lighter color than in the anemone to the left. That is where the bright light was coming from.
What it this? A different species? A different life phase? I described it to the DM on the boat and he said that they were seeing a few of them this year for the first time.
I took a picture. Second one below. The picture used a flash (should have thought to shoot in natural light). You can see some of the yellow on the inner mouth. Note the tips of the outer tenacles are a lighter color than in the anemone to the left. That is where the bright light was coming from.
What it this? A different species? A different life phase? I described it to the DM on the boat and he said that they were seeing a few of them this year for the first time.