Ritteri Anemone

The ritteri anemone, with its colorful column and the long, finger-like tentacles covering its broad disc, is the icon of the clownfish footage in reef documentaries. In the wild it reaches 50 cm, sometimes more. It is one of the main hosts of ocellaris and percula clownfish. Keeping it alive long-term in the aquarium is very difficult: it needs strong light and flow, wanders constantly if it cannot find a suitable spot, and most wild-collected individuals are lost within the first year. Molecular studies have proposed moving the species to the genus Radianthus; in the hobby the name Heteractis magnifica is common.

• 400 liters or more, a mature and stable reef at least a year old.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.024–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C; low nitrate and phosphate.
• Very strong light and strong, variable flow; an open rock surface in the upper part of the aquarium. All pump intakes must be protected.
• Reef safe with caution: it stings corals as it wanders; leave plenty of space between it and corals.
• It should be acclimated by the drip method for at least 1 hour; copper-based medications are lethal.

In addition to the nutrition it gets from light, it should be fed small meaty morsels such as mysis, shrimp or fish flesh 1–2 times a week.

It moves around until it finds a suitable spot; once settled it sits in the open on the rock. Its stinging tentacles can catch small fish.

Good companions: ocellaris and percula clownfish and other clownfish it hosts, such as Amphiprion perideraion; peaceful reef fish.

Avoid: butterflyfish and angelfish that pick at anemones; anemones of other species; corals placed close to it.