bleached anemone ?

[carolgyrl1]

been reading up a lot on anemones,trying to figure out what is meant by bleaching. Does it mean the anemone is stressed out? If it is white, is that always the case?

 

[Reef1589]

Lack of Food, Lack of Lighting, Too Much Lighting... Poor Water conditions.. im sure im missing some scenarios..

 

[garygb]

Bleaching refers to an anemone expelling its zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae that lives within the tissue of the animal and provides the vast majority of the food the anemone lives on. The anemone provides the algae with nitrogenous waste and, in turn, the algae provides the anemone with carbs (thus a true symbiotic relationship). When the water temperature, quality, light intensity (a few among other reasons) are insufficient the anemone can expell the zooxanthellae or the algae begin to die. In this case, the anemone appears white (or pale in highly pigmented anemones) and translucent.