New Print and eBook on Amazon:   Anemone Success Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Cnidarian id        5/26/17 Hi, Guys! A friend of mine, who's an avid reefer and has been skin diving for the past 20+yrs, has discovered this rare Cnidarian. It's his first time encountering this beautiful creature. We think it's an anemone as the physiology greatly resembles one. The bottom is glued to the rock like an anemone, not like a soft coral. He collected this off Negros Island in the Visayas, Philippines, and it's the only one in the entire area where he dived 2 days ago. <Ahh> It's photosensitive as it moved the black ruffle like tentacles when shone with a flashlight. It has what look like sweeping stinger tentacles buried underneath the black ruffles. The guy who discovered it, gently poked it with his chipping hammer to see if it reacted violently, but nothing happened, so he touched it with his finger and it didn't sting. What do you guys think it is? <Does look to be an Actinodendron sp.; have seen a few such possibilities recently. Often called "Hell fire" anemones> Examples of larger ones here on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anempt2.htm > It would be awesome if it's a never before seen species. Hehe. Hoping for an id, Paul <Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Anemone ID needed       2/28/15 Hello sir, Would you kindly indentify the anemone in the attached pic? It has small tentacles with purple tips. <Mmm; can't make much out in your pix... Amongst these Zoanthids... does this "Anemone" have a stony skeleton? Do "give it a gentle poke" to see/ascertain. If so; it might be a single polyp Caryophylliid or...? If not, it might be a very stressed Anemonia cf. majano. Please send back data, and a better resolved pic if you can> My dad said that you are the best person to ask this question Thank you. <Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Identifying Possible Pest Anemone -- 2/19/08 <Hello> I recently ordered a bag of red algae from my LFS (I don't know what kind) and found a small anemone attached to a piece of it. <Uh-oh> I don't know much about anemones (just enough to say it is one) and I've looked at several pictures but they all look the same to me! <Heee! Once you look at enough of these things you'll start to see the differences, especially when it comes to differentiating the "pests" from the "desirables"). It just takes some experience/research and close observation. For instance, Aiptasia has slender, pointed tentacles. Not all anemones have these.> I suppose it looks just like the Aiptasia in shape and size, (it's small, about 1/3 inch wide) but it is a pale gray color. I have put it in my quarantine tank and have been feeding it brine/Mysis pieces until I can find out. Please help! <Hmmm, this is where a photo would really come in handy. What you have could indeed be Aiptasia (and likely is!). They're extremely common hitchhikers that are usually a translucent light to pale brown, although I've seen darker versions as well as some that were almost colorless. I've never seen a gray one, but depending on lighting, it's possible that one could appear so. Also, some species have what appear to be stripes on the tentacles. What they all have in common is that they're pests! Please see the photos at these links (as well as those at the highlighted links above) for comparison: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/aiptasidfaq2.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anempt2.htm I'd go on the theory that 'If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck'¦' it's a Ummm.. pest anemone and I'd get rid of it! I'd also check for others as well within the algae. Hope this helps. Please let me know if you need any additional information or assistance. By the way, if you're able to get a good photo, I'd be happy to take a look at it. Take care, -Lynn>

New Print and eBook on Amazon:   Anemone Success Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term by Robert (Bob) Fenner