Due to their bright pigmentation and fluorescence under ultraviolet light, Ricordea florida is very popular in hobby saltwater aquariums.

These mouths are centered amid short rounded tentacles bearing cnidocytes, whose sting contains paralytic neurotoxins.

The sting is used to subdue prey to make it more easily ingested via the mouth, or as a defensive mechanism to evade enemies.

The fleshy body and tentacles can be found in a variety of colours, including purple, orange, green, blue and yellow.

Ricordea florida feed both on the products of zooxanthellae, and on zooplankton or fish they catch with their tentacles, along with dissolved organic matter in the water.