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FAQs on Anemone Identification 28

Related Articles: Anemones, Bubble Tip Anemones, LTAs, Cnidarians, Coldwater Anemones, Colored/Dyed Anemones,  

Related FAQs: Anemone ID 1, Anemone ID 2, Anemone ID 3, Anemone ID 4, Anemone ID 5, Anemone ID 6, Anemone ID 7, Anemone ID 8, Anemone ID 9, Anemone ID 10, Anemone ID 11, Anemone ID 12, Anemone ID 13, Anemone ID 14, Anemone ID 15, Anemone ID 16, Anemone ID 17, Anemone ID 18, Anemone ID 19, Anemone ID 20, Anemone ID 21, Anemone ID 22, Anemone ID 23, Anemone ID 24, Anemone ID 25, Anemone ID 26, Anemone ID 27, Anemone ID 29, Anemone ID 30, Anemone ID 31, Anemone ID 32, Anemone ID 33, Anemone ID 34, Anemone ID 35, Anemone ID 36, Anemone ID 37, Anemone ID 38, Anemone ID 39, Anemone ID 40, Anemone ID 41, Anemone ID 42, Anemone ID 43, Anemone ID 44, Anemone ID 45, & Cnidarian Identification, Anemones 1, Anemones 2, Anemones 3, Anemones 4, Anemones 5, Invertebrate Identification, Aiptasia Identification, Aiptasia ID 2, LTA Identification, Bubble Tip Anemones, Caribbean Anemones, Condylactis, Aiptasia Anemones, Other Pest Anemones, Anemones and Clownfishes, Anemone Reproduction, Anemone Lighting, Anemone Feeding, Anemone Systems, Anemone Compatibility, Anemone Selection, Anemone Health, Anemone Behavior, Anemone Placement

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

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

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>

Anemone ID, and a note re the death biz    4/11/09
Hello,
<Howsit?>
Just a quick question. I recently got stationed at Vandenberg AFB on the central coast of California. There are a few beaches that are actually on the base and while exploring one of them at low tide i happened to stumble upon about a thousand or more of these anemones. Sorry about the quality of the pic it was taken with my blackberry. I never thought that such cold water would hold such a variety of different colored anemones. There were green, orange, blue, purple, red, and others that i cant remember right now. Anyway to the question what type of anemone are these and would it be possible to keep them in a central California coast themed tank?
<Is... and are Anthopleura xanthogrammica... The "giant" (larger with ecoclinal variation toward the north) "California" (except when elsewhere) Green Sea Anemone>
Not that I'm actually thinking of removing them straight from the ocean just curious.
Thanks,
Kris
<Watch that curiosity... Bureaucracies like the military destroy such that leads to innovation... makes the folks at the top look inept (they are), and who wants to appear inept. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Anemone ID 3/24/09
Hello, hope all is well!
<Is good, still above ground.>
I need some help ID'ing a hitch hiking anemone I recently discovered. When it first showed up in my tank about 2 months ago it was about the size of a penny and had bulb like tips which led to believe it was a baby bulb anemone of some type. After feeding and caring for it grew to about an inch in diameter and has now split into four separate animals all bigger
than the original.  Am I right in thinking it's some form of Majano? I know they are know for
multiplying like crazy.
<Yes, appears to be a majano/tulip anemone, Bob may input here if not.   Bubble Tip Anemones would not multiply/split that fast and at that size.>
Any insight into this mystery Anemone would be more than appreciated.
Thank you.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Michael

Anemone ID 3/23//09
Hello Bob,
Wondering if you could peek at the anemone ID query in my inbox. Photo appears to be a
Heteractis, likely a crispa. Your educated ID?
I'd ask for another photo or two. B>
By the way, Mich sent me a few photos of the Michigan trip. Geez, I see you were in a belly photo contest with another gent. Thank God you were not drinking yet, no telling how far that would have went:).
Cheers,
Jim
<Was already drinking... B>

Anemone ID 3/23/09
Hello,
<Hi>
I am having trouble getting an Id on this guy.
The person who originally bought this guy said he was yellowish w/ pinkish/purple tips, now I am sure he was dyed as you can see he has reverted back to his natural colors ( or at least on his way ).
His tentacles have a " ribbed" look to them ( about 2 or 3 ribs per tentacle).
The way he is sitting its hard to see his mouth but it has a whitish ring around it.
My Allard's love him.
great site, its good to have a resource like this, but you probably already know that already.
<Appears to be a Heteractis, likely a crispa. A couple additional photos, preferably taken at a higher angle would help lead to a more accurate ID.>
Cheers!
<Ditto my friend. James (Salty Dog)>

Re: Anemone ID 3/26/09
Is this a little better angle?
<Yes, and after looking at numerous anemone scans, including Mr. Fenner's, I do not believe it is a crispa, likely either an aurora or malu with more emphasis on the later. This anemone does not appear to be in the best of health which makes it a little more difficult to ID. Bob, any input from the shores of Cozumel?>
Thanks again.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>

Re: Anemone ID 3/26/09
Thank you for the speedy responses,
<You're welcome.>
I have only had this anemone for about a week now, the person I purchased this from was under the impression it might be a carnation anemone? I can find very little info about Carnation anemones so that's why I contacted the people in the know.
<Mmm, Carnation Anemones are generally a light to deep yellow in color.>
I think it was under 4-39w t5's maby <maybe> more, I have it in a 110gal, 2x400w MH lit tank and have started to notice towards the end of my MH light cycle the some tenticles <tentacles> are turning a nice " Healthy bubble tip green" color. If you know what I mean.
<Yes, the intense lighting will help.>
There might be hope.... I hope.
<I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. James (Salty Dog)>

 

Anemone ID 3/23/09
Can you identify this anemone?
<Is a Condylactis or Haitian Anemone.>
The pet store told me it was a Haitian. But I can't find any on the web that have green tips on ends of tentacles. Foot is red and it seems to want to get as deep into the cracks in the rock as possible. Have only had it for a few days and just want to identify it before I try to feed it. Also need to know light requirements.
<Now you are asking about light requirements. They do require intense lighting and this anemone is bleaching badly from lack of.>
Any help would be appreciated. I usually don't buy before I know all about the species I am buying but my wife loved it and the store owner swore to her that it would be a host to our clown. By the way the clown has shown zero interest.
<Not surprising, the Condylactis are not hosting anemones and are found in western tropical
Atlantic waters where no clownfish exist. James (Salty Dog)>

Critter ID? Operculums and Possible Sand Anemone - 3/19/09
<Hello Christopher, Lynn here this morning.>
A shell of a what?
<More like what's in the shell!>
One might think that after 40+ years of fishkeeping, 8 years of outright reef obsession, and being supported by the bountiful resources of WW, I could tell, or at least easily discover, if something is a mollusk or a worm, or neither.
<Heheee! I've been in the hobby since the early 70's and believe me, it happens.>
I recently had the opportunity to go bigger (50g to 125g).
<Nice>
After the 6 months of preparation, moving, acclimation, quarantine, and additions to the new system, I finally have my dream tank, short of glass walls everywhere. Thanks to advice found on your site, I have had great success, the move went swimmingly and the only surprises have been how much both my reef inhabitants and I enjoy the larger space and there are these shells. I have identified dozens of the hundreds of 'hitch-hiking' organisms that have populated my system over the years and continue to pop up. While moving the old sand bed as a 'start' for the new larger one I decided to sift out some of the rubble that had accumulated from generations of free limpets, tubeworms, Chitons, Nerites, Vermetid snails and from the not-so-free snails, hermit crabs, coral base rocks and the like. (A pair of maroon clowns can tend to break a lot of things around their house over the years) Among the remains, I discovered those of an animal that I had never seen before but it had obviously thrived and multiplied for some time. They appear to live or have lived on the glass bottom under the sand. What is left are disk-shaped hard shells with a completely flat, almost polished bottom and an intricate spiral growth pattern on the top. I have attached a photo of the 'shell remains' that I found in great numbers (dozens, perhaps hundreds) in the sand. The three at the top are turned upside down to show the bottom surface.
<They're snail operculums/opercula - the trap door at the opening of a snail that protects the soft animal inside from predation, desiccation, etc. Some are thin, and flexible, while others are thick and calcareous. Yours are obviously of the latter variety and most appear to be from bygone Turbo snails. See these links for more information/comparison: http://aphriza.wordpress.com/2006/12/21/trapdoor-on-the-seafloor/
http://seashellplace.com/catalog/images/others_eye_green.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2319171639_4443687a10.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operculum_(gastropod) >
I later remembered a photo I took a few years ago of some other unidentified animals that I occasionally saw poking out from the sand. After scouring your site at the time I assumed them to be some sort of small anemone. I never could get a real up-close observation of it and the only photo I got was this poor one taken before I read all of your cautions about using a zoom lens to take a close up in my aquarium. Perhaps it will be clear enough for you to tell what kind of creature it is and whether it is perhaps the maker of the shells?
<I sure wish I could help with this one, but I can't see it well enough to be able to determine what it is. If I had to guess, I'd say that it might be some kind of anemone, possibly a sand anemone (Phyllactis spp). Please see the photo at the following link for comparison:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemurdillo/3044460357/in/set-72157605663802360/ >
As you can tell it is about twice the size of a typical xenia polyp. It had what appeared to be a plume of translucent fleshy brownish speckled tentacles protruding from the 4-5' sand bed next to the base rock. I am stumped by these guys and can't seem to find images or descriptions of similar organisms.
FYI: 125 Gallon, 20 gal sump/refugium, deep sandbed, all parameters are good.
Lots of healthy live rock with colorful algae, sponges, tunicates, worms, tiny seastars, pods, macro algae, etc, etc. and mature colonies of soft corals introduced years ago and re-established over the rockwork.
Corals: Mushrooms, leathers, xenia and Zoanthids
A theme of relationships:
2 -- Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) mated pair (7 yr)
1 -- BTA (Entacmaea quadricolor) hosts above in separate 'bommie' (6 mo)
1 -- Pink Spotted Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus leptocephalus) (4 yr)
1 -- Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) (3 yrs)
5 -- Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) (5 mo)
1 -- Blue Devil Damsel (Chrysiptera cyanea)
1 -- Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas) (1 yr)
4 -- Canary Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus) (1-5 yr, 3-4 mo)
2 -- Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) (4 yr)
Grateful to have and to share it all. Any comments are welcome.
Christopher Williams
Santa Barbara, CA
<Hope that helps! Take care, Lynn Zurik -- Everett, Wa>

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