Plumose Anemone

Photo: Tony Gilbert · CC BY-NC

Plumose anemones at Wuddy Rocks form the dominant visual character of the reef — white, cream, and orange colonies standing 20 to 30 cm tall in the tidal surge gullies where current keeps their tentacles extended and feeding. The St. Abbs reserve's no-take status means anchor damage and diver disturbance are minimal, and the anemone communities here are among the densest documented on any temperate reef in Scotland. They provide settlement habitat for nudibranchs, brittlestars, and small crabs.