FAQs on Anemone Identification 12

FAQs on Anemone Identification 12

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Anemone Success
Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

ID... Aiptasia 7/20/07 Hello guys. <One of the girls here tonight.> I just got some more live rock for my aquarium today and I saw this hair like creature of a sort on it. As I watched it longer and longer it looks like an anemone and it has moved a little bit like one too. Is that what it is? <You are correct, it is an anemone, but not a good one! Is Aiptasia. You will want to eliminate from you system as they can grow to plague proportions. More here and related links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm thank you very much, hope the pictures are good enough. <Welcome and yes they are.
Cheers,
Mich>

Re: Adding more discus/ anemone... Now ID about the latter 1/20/07 Hi, <Hello> I can resend them with my writing or if you would like I can send them again now. Let me know the specific Kbyte limit.... (how are these?) <Fine. Have already downloaded and placed the previous> This thing is like 12 to 16" across, and the Heteractis malu's tentacles seem shorter from the pics I have seen, and it never struck me as such. <Mmm, as such in terms of size? Agreed... and the verrucae, as stated, seem to be that of a Magnificent> Not to say you are wrong, of cause, just an observation. I saw a long tentacle at a LFS, and it's underbelly looked nothing like this ones. It had more "stripes" with the nubs underneath. Plus the Heteractis malu pic I looked at online, the coloration of the very tip of the tentacle seems to only be a spot, <Mmm, not so... the "spot" species is almost always H. sebae> where this ones is much "longer" where it is lighter at the tip and slowly fads into the darker part of the tentacle from the tip. What other pics can I take to help us identify it. (oral disc) I thought the "malu" were really hard to care for as well, unless I am thinking of another one. <About as difficult as H. magnifica... neither are easy> Another interesting thing this anemone did in the beginning BEFORE it started to regenerate, it that the tips of the tentacles would have 2 "heads" as if a Siamese twin! Check out this web pic of a HM: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/jeffrey_jeffordsmisc.inverts/Clownanemoneshrimp.jpg/view.html <Interesting> see the tip of the tentacle under the clowns mouth? and see the "branching" it does. That is mine to a tee!!! But like you said, it may not be a HM: <Am susceptible to this ID as to any. Bob Fenner>

Re: Discus/ Heteractis magnifica.... we have a winner! 1/20/07 Hello Mr. Fenner, <Carrie, just Bob please> Well, I think we have a winner.... I think! If nothing else, yes, I am tenacious! <A good characteristic> Notice the last sentence in red on this web page I found about anemones...... seems to agree with other things I read: "Heteractis magnifica (Family Stichodactylidae) Magnificent Anemone Distribution: The Magnificent Anemone occurs in tropical and subtropical waters. It has a broad Indo-Pacific distribution from East Africa to French Polynesia, and Australia to the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. (WA, NT, QLD) Features: This is one of the most conspicuous and frequently photographed species of anemone. It is a symbiotic host to 12 species of anemone fish of the genus Amphiprion. Adults are large, commonly growing to 500 mm in diameter, but specimens up to 1 m have been recorded. The oral disc is flat to gently undulating, usually green or brown in colour and densely covered with finger-like tentacles. Immediately (20--30 mm) around the mouth the oral disk may be yellow, brown or green, free of tentacles and slightly convex. Tentacles reach up to 75 mm in length and are unique to this genus in that the tips are blunt or slightly swollen at the tip. They are usually the same colour as the oral disk and interestingly may bifurcate or branch in two." ******Here is the URL: http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/species-bank/sbank-treatment.pl?id=81286 Here are a few pics I just took: <Thank you. Bob Fenner>

Nuisance anemone 1/17/06 Dear WWM crew, <Hi Julia, Mich with you today.> First of all, thank you all for any previous advice you have given me over the last couple of years. Thank you for the fabulous web site. You guys (and gals) are awesome! <Thank you for your most kind words!> I have a quick ID question for you. I know you guys need to see pictures to know for sure, but a picture is not feasible right now. <Would be most helpful.> I just bought some "used" liverock and it has these tiny anemones on it. They do not look like Aiptasia to me. They look more like Majano, except they are perfectly clear, no tint of color whatsoever. Just the very tips of the tentacles are whitish (and slightly swollen, from what I can tell). Can they be bleached Majano, or is this another species? The outer tentacles are also a little longer than what I am used to in Majano (almost like they are half way between Aiptasia and Majano anemone, or they look almost like a clear dwarf sun coral polyp, just shape-wise that is). Does this ring a bell? <Really impossible to tell with out a photo. Many possibilities here, including many desirable creatures, could even be something like a orange ball Corallimorph (Pseudocorynactis caribbeorum)...do a google image search on this.> And should I do anything about these? Until now I have had NO pest anemones (my liverock was reseeded from scratch, so to speak), but if these guys are "bad" I would rather not give them the chance to spread. <Understandable, but if they are desirable I don't want to tell you to eradicate them... thus the reason we ask for images.> My tank is not terribly nutrient rich, but as it is a softie tank I do not want to get it too clean :) <I hear you.> Thank you all again for your help and have a wonderful week :) <Welcome and wishing you the same. -Mich> Sincerely, Julia.

Re: Nuisance Anemone...No, Desirable Hitchhiker... Pseudocorynactis caribbeorum 1/19/07 Mich, You are amazing :) <Heehe! And you are funny!> I did an image search on google, just like you told me, and Pseudocorynactis caribbeorum indeed does look like my guy :). <Lucky you! It is not sold in the hobby that I'm aware of.> Except that mine has white balls, not orange. <Yep.> I guess I will have to do a bit of research on these creatures since I have never ever encountered them. <Hitchhiking nocturnal filter feeders.> I just found a picture of it on your web site (I am attaching it, I hope you don't mind), that is almost exactly like mine. <Very good.> Thank you so much and have a great day! <Welcome and the same to you! -Mich> Julia General Questions?? 12/22/06 I have a tank that is 5 months old . My domino damsel is approx. 3 inches and appears to be losing his color, there is a invasion of red algae. and there are Condylactis anemones popping up all over the place there are 8 of them so far. <Mmm, don't know if your telling me something or asking for info. Anyway, Domino Damsels do fade with age/growth and can get rather large. The red algae is more than likely Cyanobacteria. Do read here. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm. As for the Condylactis Anemones, I'm quite sure you are seeing the dreaded Aiptasia Anemones which multiply like mice. There are methods for controlling this species. Do search our site for this info. James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone ID Question 12/14/06 Please excuse the sickly but wonderful Clownfish in the picture. They were recently treated for brooks and then fin rot. The anemone in the picture was sold to me as e.quad or a bubble tip. <Is almost assuredly an Entacmaea quadricolor> I have had a couple different types of bubble tips in the past and I see some variation from previous experience on this one. 1. I haven't actually seen any bulbs on any of the tips <Some, sometimes you don't, won't... only "express" themselves under certain conditions> 2. the area around it's center is vacant of tentacles more than my previous bubble tips <I see this... not necessarily indicative of trouble> 3 . also the tentacles seem to stick up straight instead of out to the sides 4. I have also never seen this color combination of pink tips with a teal base <I have> Can you help to identify the anemone I have? Here are some pictures of previous BTA's I have had... <a href=" http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/dsmith14/10cc69e7.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm and the linked files at top. Bob Fenner>

Anemone ID 12/10/06 Hey crew, <Hey now, Mich with you tonight.> Wanna take a gander and throw your hat in the ring as to what I have here? I am leaning toward a BTA or LTA, but I am not sure. This guy just came out of some live rock I got in. <My vote is LTA. Where did the rock originate?> Thanks,
<Your welcome. -Mich>
Cj

Polyp ID 11/7/06 Hi all. Great website, I have used your site several times as reference. Can you help me identify this hitchhiker? <Mmm, yep... looks to be an Anemonia majano> I thought it was a polyp of some type but I now believe it to be a really small anemone. <Ding ding ding! We have a winnah!> I have a 55-gallon saltwater aquarium with fish and approximately 65 LB. Live rock and two small clumps of corals. SG 1.024, Temp 79, pH 8.2 just after lights turn on in the morning, No2 = 0, NO3 = 0, CA2= 440. I have a 48" current light with 2 actinic and 2 daylight bulbs (sorry, not too electrical can't tell you the wattage) and 3 moonlight bulbs that are all on a timer. I have three green chromis one tomato clown one lawnmower blenny, various snails, about 7 hermit crabs one green emerald crab a skunk cleaner shrimp a brittle starfish that was a hitchhiker in one of my rocks one clump of green star polyps and one clump of pink zoanthid. I found this thing growing on my live rock and thought it to be some type of a button polyp. It is moving on the rock now. It started out at the very bottom inside part of a piece of live rock. It is now on the top of one piece of live rock. It is about Â½ inch across and never seems to close completely. Is this an anemone? <Yes> If so I have read everything about anemones on your site. This one is so small I don't know how to feed it and if I should even keep it. Let me know what you think, thanks, Lis. <Do use the search tool... read a bit about... some folks consider a pest due to prolific asexual reproduction, possibility of crowding out other livestock. Bob Fenner>

Anemone Identification - 11/05/06 Dear WWM Crew: I'm hoping you can help identify this anemone which I recently inherited. I've searched all over the WWM site and elsewhere and not found an answer. I was told that this guy has been on the same piece of live rock for at least 2-3 years. His tentacles are not quite as red as they appear in the photo, and they're just slightly darker than Aiptasia tentacles. The oral disk is just about 1" diameter, and the stem is dark red, about the color of dried blood, w/ small red speckles. His foot has a bright red band at the edge, about 1/8" wide. Although I don't consider him particularly beautiful, he is fun to watch, feeds well (esp. zooplankton), and does not seem inclined to split, reproduce, or cause any problems. Your help is much appreciated. Thanks, JP <Is Anemonia majano: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemoniafaqs.htm And the linked file/s above. Bob Fenner>

Anemone Identification - 10/19/2006 Good afternoon! <Hey Al, MacL here with you today. Sorry for the delay. Lots of emails coming in lately.> I thoroughly enjoy the site, I've gotten quite a bit of excellent information, not the least of which is to be patient. <So true!> Now on to the reason I'm emailing you. I'm getting conflicting information - can you help me ID this anemone? Some say it's a BTA (E. Quadricolor), some say it's a Condylactis, I see on your site that they're both in the same order, and *I* think it looks like a Condylactis (note the purple-ish spot on the ends of the tentacles). Here's a pic: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72/getndirty/IMG_0414.jpg <Its difficult to tell from the picture. One thing though, you said it was found on a rock and that will sometimes give you a clue until it grows large enough to determine. Where is the rock from? Atlantic Gulf? or Pacific? If its Atlantic gulf it more than likely a Condylactis.> Either way, it was found in my girlfriend's 105g tank while doing some aquascaping to make room for some new inhabitants. No telling how long it had been there under a rock, out of the light. It's now in my QT and I'm going to attempt to help it along - any tips here would be greatly appreciated. <The greatest stuff is the hitchhikers isn't it? I'd watch it for a while and you should be able to tell as it gets a little bit larger.> Many thanks for the help! <It is very pale, probably from the light it had. I think its going to be fun to watch.> <<Unfortunately, the image has been accidentally deleted from our mail system. -SCF>>

Anemone ID...Queriers Shift Key Not Working - 08/26/2006 Hi I was sold this anemone as a Bubble Tip Anemone from the Red Sea. I have look everywhere on your site and can not find any anemone resembling the one I have. Can you tell me if you think this is truly a BTA and if not, what it really is. Also what spectrum of light is best for this anemone. Thanks for your time. <Probably doesn't look like a BTA because it appears to be a BTA in poor health. You offer very little information to go on (am looking for my crystal ball as I write this); no tank parameters, present lighting set-up, etc. A Kelvin temperature between 5500 and 10,000 will work well for anemones provided sufficient wattage is used for the size/depth of tank used. Read here and linked files above. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm In future queries, please capitalize where necessary so we do not have to do it. Thank you. James (Salty Dog)>

Tubeworm ID help, Aiptasia ID 8/21/06 Hello Crew, I humbly ask your assistance in identifying some tubeworm-like hitchhikers that I have inherited on some live rock. Pictures attached. <Yep, nice and clear> They have grown from 3/4 of an inch to almost three inches long in six months. I thought they were some type of tubeworm and harmless, but another hobbyist saw them and insisted they were poisonous, to be avoided at all costs and suggested that I get rid of them immediately. I like them as they seem to be thriving and are decorative. My tank has a Yellow Tang, Humahuma Trigger, and a Coral Beauty Angel, and all have ignored the worms to date with no ill effects. Thanks for the help and keep up the great work. Rob <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm "and the linked files above". BobF>

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