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In this review, we seek to develop new insights about the nature of algal‐sea anemone symbioses by comparing such associations in temperate and tropical seas. Temperate seas undergo pronounced seasonal cycles in irradiance, temperature, and nutrients, while high irradiance, high temperature, and low nutrients are seasonally far less variable in tropical seas. We compare the nature of symbiosis between sea anemones (= actinians) and zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium spp.) in both regions to test tropical paradigms against temperate examples and to identify directions for future research. Although fewer anemone species are symbiotic in temperate regions, they are locally dominant and ecologically important members of the benthic community compared to the tropics.

Zooxanthella densities tend to be lower in temperate anemones, but data are limited to a few species in both temperate and tropical seas …