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FAQs about Corallimorph Identification 2

Related Articles: Corallimorpharians, Cnidarians, Water Flow, How Much is Enough,

Related FAQs: Mushroom ID 1, Mushroom ID 3, Mushroom ID 4, Mushroom ID 5, Mushroom ID 6, Mushroom ID 8, Mushroom ID 9, Mushroom ID 10, & Corallimorphs, Mushrooms 2, Mushrooms 3, Mushrooms 4, Mushroom Behavior, Mushroom Compatibility, Mushroom Selection, Mushroom Systems, Mushroom Feeding, Mushroom Health, Mushroom Reproduction, Stinging-celled Animals,

Mushroom ID 10/27/09
Hi Guys,
Can you please provide on an ID on this Mushroom?
Regards
Beta
<... a Rhodactis sp. of some sort. Bob Fenner>

Re: Mushroom ID -- 10/28/2009
Thanks Bob. These are from the Southern coast of India.
Regards
Beta
<Neat! Thanks for sharing Beta. BobF>

Please ID This Anemone: Corallimorph - Likely Pseudocorynactis sp. -- 10/8/09
Hi,
<Hi Jan, Lynn here today.>
First let me say that your site is my marine bible.
<Thanks! Bob has indeed put together quite a wealth of knowledge!>
I browse here before anywhere else. Thank you for being here.
<It's our pleasure.>
Someone in my reef club put this gorgeous anemone up for trade [IMG]http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/janvl07/unkownanemone.jpg[/IMG]
I think it's a cold water anemone, but my knowledge is limited.
<Hopefully, it's not a cold water species in a reef tank! It looks like what's commonly called an orange ball anemone, although these are actually Corallimorphs (like mushrooms -- Rhodactis, Ricordea, etc.) instead of anemones. The individual photographed is either a species in the genus Corynactis (usually small, tends to live in cold/cooler waters), or Pseudocorynactis (a more tropical variety, can get fairly large). This individual is more likely of the latter genus. For more information, please see the following link: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2002/invert.htm >
No one knows where it's from and what it is.
<Hopefully, this information will help. By the way, it's been noted that the larger Pseudocorynactis spp. individuals can pose a threat to fish, so beware. I don't know the size of the one photographed, but it looks fairly large. The hitchhiking individuals we most commonly see are the species Pseudocorynactis caribbaeorum. They're usually very small and fairly innocuous. They also tend to open mostly at night although over time, some will adapt and remain open during the day. You can find more information within WWM's FAQs regarding these beautiful little Corallimorphs.>
The person that had it up for trade won't tell anyone where it's from.
<He/she might not know.>
Thank you.
<You're very welcome!>
Best regards,
Jan
<Take care, LynnZ>

Coral ID 3/5/09 Hello Bob, Anthony and crew! <Hello Thanassis> I bought this coral yesterday, but I cannot locate it anywhere and I would appreciated it if you helped me identify it. <Not real good detail in the pic, but does appear to be a Corallimorph, likely Ricordea yuma.> Best regards from Greece, <Cheers from Michigan. James (Salty Dog)> Thanassis

Identification help? And a whole lot more!, Shroom, and stkg.... FO SW, & coral lighting... 12/02/08 Hi crew again-- <Hello, Mich here.> For the purpose of trying to get as many questions asked/answered with one email, please bear with me! <No worries.> I am attaching a picture of what I believe may be a Ricordea mushroom, but I cannot tell. <Looks like a Ricordea yuma to me.> This mushroom hitchhiked in on a piece of live rock. It has "split" once. It does much better under actinic lighting and closer to the lighting than the other mushrooms I have in my tank. <Ricordea are often found in shallow waters.> I have also invested in the Pocket Expert Guide to Marine Fishes by Scott Michael and the 101 Best Saltwater Fishes by Scott Michael. I also purchased the Pocket Expert Guide to Marine Invertebrates by Dr. Ronald Shimek. My next purchase will be the Conscientious Marine Aquarist. <All four are excellent books! You are very wise to spend some money on educating yourself. These books are well worth the money and very useful tools. Congrats to you.> The first three books have helped me immensely on planning the rest of my current 75 gallon tank as well as my preparations to begin setup on a 55 gallon tank and a 30 gallon tank. My 75 gallon will be my reef tank and the 55 gallon will be an aggressive fish only tank. The 30 gallon will be a peaceful fish only tank. Can I ask your suggestions on my list of what I want to put in the 55 gallon? Also what to put in the 30 (below)? <Sure, though I will defer here to ScottF. as he is more knowledgeable in this subject area.> I would like to put in the 55 gallon: <Hi! Scott F. chiming in...> 1 Harlequin Tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus) <Yikes! In a 55?> 1 Volitans Lionfish (Pterois volitans) <Oh my!> 1 Scimitar (Bursa) Triggerfish (Sufflamen bursa) <Please, no! You're killing me.> 1 eel (I am undecided on a type here) either a Whitemouth Moray (Gymnothorax meleagris) or a Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra) or possibly a Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa) <OMG!!!!> 1 Pufferfish (again undecided) either a Blackspotted Puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus) or a Spiny Puffer (Diodon holocanthus) <Airway...I need an airway!> #1 is this too big of a bio-load for a 55 gallon? After reading about each of these, I think they should all do fine together, but wanted your suggestions first. <Um...in a word- YES! I didn't mean to sound too insensitive, but we need to revisit this stocking plan. Not one of these fishes is really even a viable choice for the short run in an aquarium of this size. In addition to reaching sizes that are way too large for this aquarium, these fishes are quite aggressive and incompatible, are messy eaters, and produce copious amounts of metabolic wastes. We need to look at some alternative fishes that will be better suited for this aquarium. Smaller, more peaceful choices would be a better approach. The Harlequin Tusk and the Triggers are simply out of the question for this aquarium. A Lionfish is a possibility, if you are willing to try a different species, such as the "Fu Manchu Lionfish", Dendrochirus biocellatus. This fish is almost as "sexy" as the full-sized guys, yet reaches a more manageable 4 inches or so. It can be a bit shy, but can easily be kept in a 55 gallon aquarium. Like all Lionfish, it is venomous, so do exercise caution when handling this fish. A moray Eel is really not a viable choice for this sized aquarium, either, but you could consider a smaller version, such as the "Golden Dwarf Moray", Gymnothorax melatremus, which is a tiny version of the full-sized species. It reaches a maximum size of about 6-8 inches, and is the diameter of a pen. However, don't let the small size of the fish fool you; these fishes can eat surprisingly large prey items! And, to top it off- they are amazing jumpers. If you do keep one, remember to keep the aquarium tightly covered. They can find the smallest opening and use it to go "carpet surfing"! Oh- and did I mention that they are pretty darned expensive, too! Nonetheless, I think that this would be the only Eel that I would even consider for this sized aquarium. In place of the Harlequin Tusk, consider a smaller wrasse species, such as a Halichoeres species, which generally top off in the 3"-4" range. Better long-term choices for a modest-sized aquarium.> #2 what order would you add them in? I think the trigger should probably be added last, but not sure. <I'd add the Lionfish first, and make sure that he's eating before another fish is added. Then I'd go for the GDM, and the wrasse would round out the stocking list.> Next tank I want to set up is a 30 gallon peaceful. The following are the inhabitants I want to put in: 1 Yellow Shrimp Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) 1 Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) <Some controversy with this fish. Please see here: http://microcosmaqx.typepad.com/ret_talbot/2008/09/banggai-cardi-2.html http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com/wiki/Portal:Letters > 1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) 1 Cherub Angelfish (Centropyge argi) 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa) <Don't mix Centropyge angelfish in this sized aquarium. Choose one or the other. Personally, I'd pass on an angelfish in this sized system. However, if you must have one, the C. argi is the better choice. It can be a bit aggressive, so be careful and observe the system often.> 2 Yellow Clown Gobies (Gobiodon okinawae) For this group, I would add the Cherub last. <Absolutely.> Too big of a bio-load? <Oh yes, by far. You need to pare down the stocking list quite a bit. I'd consider keeping the Goby, Royal Gramma, and the C. argi. That would be it! Remember, a 30 gallon aquarium holds less than 30 gallons when you take into account the volume consumed by rock and sand. Smaller water volumes are a great challenge to maintain.> What order to add? <Goby, Gramma, Angelfish!> The fish only tanks will get live sand and some live rock, but that is it. <OK.> I will be putting a protein skimmer on the 55, but will it be necessary on the 30 gallon? <I would say yes. In my opinion, a protein skimmer is not an optional piece of equipment in a marine system. I simply would not run a marine system without one. This is my opinion, of course, but I would be remiss if I did not attempt to convince you to utilize protein skimming in your system, regardless of size.> Could I do more frequent water changes in 30 instead of skimming? <You could, but I still feel a skimmer is mandatory. There are skimmers available for almost any size of aquarium and budget, so do a little research and you'll find one that works for your system.> Okay now a quick question on my 75 gallon if I may. You guys have helped me out with other problems with that tank. Needless to say, I did what I assume many beginning aquarists do--I ran out and bought and bought and bought and did not research first. I have learned the hard way that is not the way to do it! <A terrible lesson, but at least you learned. And the fact that you are sharing your experience with others proves that you have progressed!> With the money wasted in now dead livestock, I could have purchased some really awesome high dollar fish! <Like a Golden Dwarf Moray!> Live and learn I guess! Okay on to the question.... I am planning on purchasing a metal halide/T-5 combo light for my 75 gallon. The following is what I am looking at: 2 X 250 Watt Metal Halide � 15k bulbs included 4 X 54 watt T5 HO Lights included- 4 actinic 03 bulbs 8 lunar moonlights included on fixture � 8 blue 1 watt LED's Unit has 3 Chords and 3 switches Is this sufficient lighting for all corals, etc? <It can be sufficient for a great many corals, and may actually be overkill for some species! It really boils down to what kinds of corals you intend to keep. Personally, I like the flexibility of the Halide/T5 combo, but you could actually get by with exclusively lighting the system with T5 bulbs. They are a remarkably powerful lighting source for a variety of corals. You also may not need 250 watt halides over this sized system. You could do pretty well with two 150 watt DE halides over this sized system, and realize the same flexibility and enjoy energy savings as well!> The other 2 tanks will have actinic lighting--no metal halides or anything "fancy". Any help would sure be appreciated! Thank you so much for being there for people! <You are very welcome! Scott F. signing out!> Angela

Live Rock Hitchhiker IDs (Corallimorph and Red Alga) -- 05/07/07 I purchased a new piece of live rock and a few weeks later found this growing on a piece of dried out plate coral. <<Neat>> The plate was totally bleached out and dead when it went into the tank. These appear to be some sort of mushrooms and I have no idea what the red stuff is in the other picture. <<Mmm yes, perhaps a Ricordea species...and the 'red stuff' is a Rhodophyte though what species it is I don't know...perhaps if you have a look around at algaebase.org...>> It started out with just one small creature and has now expanded to at least 20. <<Fast grower, eh>> They are now about 6 months old. <<Mmm, ok...not atypical for Corallimorphs>> There is clearly a mouth in the middle of each one. The stalk is soft and will extend out. They look like Blastomussa on the top surface, but as I said the stalks extend and are soft. <<Yes...like Ricordea>> When they are fully contracted the "fleshy" parts will look pink as can be seen in some of the smaller ones. They can also blow up much larger than this like an anemone. <<Typical Corallimorph behavior>> The red stuff also appeared when the new rock was put in. It has now spread over about 40% of this rock. It is made up of many small -3mm or so lobes. These lobes are vertically flat. <<The red alga 'may' become problematic/spread more than you like. If this happens, your best bet for controlling it (short of manual extraction) will be an urchin species. Mespilia globulus is a good choice for smaller systems or a Diadema species for large (100g +) tanks...but be aware it has been my experience the latter will also sometimes graze on Acroporids. EricR>>

Unknown hitchhiker White Ball Corallimorph (Pseudocorynactis sp.) 4/27/07 <Hi Jim, Mich here.> Would you advise your best opinion as to what this creature is. <Yes, looks to be a White Ball Corallimorph (Pseudocorynactis sp.)> I found it on an empty snail shell in my tank. <Likely a hitchhiker.> One opinion from another forum was that it is a bleached majano anemone. <No. It is not a Majano anemone. Is a lucky addition to your tank. You might try offering this coral finely chopped fish at night or when the tentacles are extended. They are not common in captivity so enjoy it!> <You're welcome! Mich>
Jim

Mushroom coral-can you please identify, Elephant Ear mushroom (Rhodactis spp.) - 02/15/07 Hello, Peter from Bodmin Cornwall UK <Hi there Peter from Bodmin Cornwall UK, Mich here from the Pocono Mountain of Pennsylvania USA> Greetings, and thank you for your advise on using Aerial polystyrene sheets some time ago - I've had no problems. <Glad to hear of your success> I attach a photo' of an acquirement from a piece of living rock (origin unknown) - it appeared as a growth approximately 5mm across within about two weeks after installing the rock into my tank about two & a half years ago. The picture was taken one year ago. The picture was taken by 'flash' on a digital camera with the resultant colouring. Viewed from the tank under blue actinic & white lighting it is a soft 'terra cotta' colour-viewed from above a silvery blue. It has thick stems of about 25 mm & the 'florets' of which there are now seven are in the region of 15-20cm across. It obviously likes my tank conditions - it is positioned in the middle of the tank - about 20cm from the surface. Can you please identify this for me. <Yes, looks like an Elephant Ear mushroom (Rhodactis spp.) and a potential fish eater so be aware. Can read more here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm > Thanking you in anticipation <You are welcome! -Mich> Peter Heath PS I have just purchased The Conscientious Marine Aquarist - a treasure chest of information -no matter how much you think you already know. <I wholeheartedly agree!>

Mushroom ID 2/13/07 Elephant Ear mushroom (Rhodactis spp.) 2/14/07 Hi Crew, <Greetings! Mich with you tonight.> I have this large mushroom and would like to know exactly what it is since there seems to be a debate in a local group as to whether it is even a mushroom. <A mushroom indeed, of the order Corallimorpharia.> It was the size of a quarter when I got it a few months ago and now it is about 5 inches across and my tank is just a 10 gallon. <Growing quickly!> It has a green background. It has a white mouth and long tan colored tentacles that are very irregular with branches. Sometimes it shrinks and the green is very intense as it is in this picture. Other times it spreads out. It looks like there is a light on behind it. At times it will roll up like a balloon with the underside being the outside of the balloon. It does this mostly at night. Anyway here is a picture. <Looks like an Elephant Ear mushroom (Rhodactis spp.) and a potential fish eater so be aware. Can read more here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm Cheers! -Mich>

Re: another Anemone ID... Corallimorph? - 1/22/07 Hi Bob, I was wondering if there is a defining characteristic of ... Corallimorph? <Yes... posted on our coverage of the Phylum (Cnidaria) I watched this animal puff up his foot and go for a walk last night. <!? Atypical!> I also fed him and he felt sticky, which I imagined a ... Corallimorph would be more slippery like a mushroom. <Corallimorphs are mushrooms...> My clowns were immediately drawn to the animal which I guess is why I am skeptical of the fact that it would be classified in the mushroom family. <Clowns will/do associate with all sorts of Anthozoans...> I understand that the clowns will host just about anything but they were very vigorous about acclimating to their new home. Again thanks, Dale <This could indeed be an Actinarian per your original query... but morphically atypical due to present circumstances... its position, lighting, circulation... perhaps the tentacles will elongate with time, movement. 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

Strawberry Anemone 3/24/06 Oh, I thought I'd include a pic of what I've been calling the "strawberry anemone" from what I've found on your site and others. Any input? Oh...and I also noticed a little frag of a purple Ricordea that we thought we'd completely lost during a past move...just thought I'd share a happy thought. Branon. <<No real input other than the fact that they are neat critters. If you want it to survive and thrive, make sure it gets frequent small meals of meaty food. Glad to hear you rediscovered a presumed missing critter! Best Regards. AdamC.>>

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