Dainty but Deadly
Some of the daintiest creatures in the sea are the deadliest to small fish and shrimp. Both the sea anemone and the jellyfish look like pretty flowers, but they sting their prey with poison.
The sea anemone got its name because it looks like the flower called an anemone. The animal lives on the bottom of the sea, often in a warm coral reef or a rock pool. A sea anemone can move slowly, but it prefers to stay in one spot.
To catch small fish and shrimp to eat, the sea anemone spreads out its arms. Those arms are filled with tiny stinging parts. When the anemone touches its prey, it shoots out a poison. The poison stops the creature from moving. Then the sea anemone uses its arms to carry the creature to its mouth.
The jellyfish looks like an upside-down tulip. Its body is like a see-through umbrella with long strings hanging down. The jellyfish is made mostly of water. Washed up on the beach, it looks like a lump of colorless jelly.
The jellyfish swims by opening and closing its whole body. When it stops moving, it sinks to the bottom. As it drifts down, it catches small animals by stinging them with its tentacles.