Photo Andrew Taylor. Photo Guido Zsilavecz	Walking or "sock" anemone Preactis millardae The "Walking anemone" or "Sock anemone" is known only from the Western Cape, The type location is probably Hottentot's Huisie, Oudekraal (more commonly known as Coral Gardens), where it is relatively common, and it is also recorded from Roman Rock, the Fleur, Windmill, Vulcan rock, Rambler rock, Tafelberg reef, Percy's Hole, Steenbras Deep Reef, Pringle Bay, the wrecks of the SAS Transvaal and Princess Elizabeth, and possibly Whittle Rock. The species is named for Naomi A.H. Millard (1914-1997), a South African researcher on Hydroids. Order: Actiniaria Suborder: Ptychodacteae Family: Preactiidae Genus: Preactis Species: Millardae They are elongate flexible animals that crawl along the substrate ("Walking") with the column and prey on octocoral colonies, eg Cauliflower soft coral (Capnella thyrsoidea) and probably Multicolour sea fans (Acabaria rubra). There appear to be two colour variations: the orange as shown in the picture, and blue. Their appearance is rather like a scruffy woolly sock, hence the alternative common name. They are usually found attached to the substrate by the basal disc like other anemones, but are also quite frequently seen hanging on by the tentacles or waving upside down in the surge while moving from one place to another. The mouth can open widely to engulf fairly large coral colonies, which being sessile, require the anemone to move about to find them.
References: Preactis millardae England in England K.W. and Robson E.A 1984 p314
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