How do zoos allow touchable anemones?

[adeebm]

So I was at the Minnesota Zoo yesterday, and they have this tide pool exhibit. There's a bunch of anemones in there, and they let you touch them. How do the anemones survive? I thought they were sensitive and would get pissed at people poking them 24/7.

--Adeeb

 

[Innovator]

Most people don't really want to stick their hands in the water in the first place, but for those that do there are usually rules in how the animal can be touched. I would hope most touch tanks are heavily filtrated and imagine the anemones are switched out routinely.

 

[maxst2]

Lol... prolly made of silicone.

 

[adeebm]

Nah, they're real, and theres always swarms of kids touching them.

--Adeeb

 

[The_Desacrator]

I would want to poke one lol

 

[MarineFlake]

Nems, some specicies more than others, are far more resilient than a lot of over cautious hobbiest would ever believe. There is a very cool thread on the RC site where a guy in Australia took pics of a low tide event showing many animals, including our beloved nems, exposed to the sun. Yes folks, out of the water in direct Australian sunlight. Im sure there are plenty of folks who would shake their fist at God Himself and explain how fragile these animals are. Different strokes for different folks I guess. However, its no surprise to me if this were the case.