The column appears to be smooth but close inspection shows irregularly arranged darker swellings.

[2] This is a shallow water species occurring in bays and areas of low salinity, on stones, on the shells of live oysters and on man-made structures such as pilings and floats.

[3][5] D. leucolena reproduces sexually, males and females liberating their gametes into the sea.

Unlike D. leucolena, it reproduces exclusively by asexual means, resulting in populations consisting almost entirely of cloned individuals.

Approximately two hundred individual sea anemones were present in grooves in the carapace that had been caused by the blades of a propeller; these depressions provided a relatively sheltered habitat for this species which is intolerant of turbulence.