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FAQs on Macrodactyla doreensis, Long Tentacle Anemone Identification

Related Articles: LTAs, Anemones, Bubble Tip Anemones, 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 28, 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 42, Anemone ID 43, Anemone ID 44, Anemone ID 45, & Cnidarian Identification,

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

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

anemone ID and care   4/26/12
Hi again crew hope you are all well.
<Hello Simon>
Can you please ID this anemone for me and give a little information on care. i.e. flow rates, feeding, lighting etc. Also would it be a good host anemone for my pair of Clarkii clowns?
<You have a Macrodactyla doreensis aka Long Tentacle Anemone and it is a natural host for Clarkii Clowns. Read more here-- http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macrodoreensis.htm  
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ltasysfaqs.htm >
Thank you in advance
<Quite welcome>
Simon
<Jordan>

Re: Blue/Purple Aiptasia? 8/15/10
Hi Bob,
<Peter>
I was wondering if I could bother you with a few more questions about this anemone?
<... have you read where you were referred? And here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macrodoreensis.htm
and the linked files above>
I haven't been able to find many pictures or long-tentacle anemones that look like this one so I am wondering if you could confirm this ID and offer suggestions to get it into a larger tank? I have a 46-gallon aquarium going with 200 watts of VHO fluorescent lighting.
<Please read the above citations>
I scraped the glass on my aquarium and was able to take a better picture.
Does this newer picture confirm a Macrodactyla doreensis as you suggested based on the first pic?
<I do think so still>
If it is I would like to move it to the larger tank, if not... I am open to suggestions!
With thanks,
Peter
<Welcome. BobF>
Re: Blue/Purple Aiptasia?
Bob,
One more pic. It shrunk a little and sure looked a lot bluer...
Peter
<Very nice, though I'd get rid of the surrounding Aiptasia. B>

Anemone ID - 4/1/10
Hi Wet Web,
I was wondering if you could ID this anemone for me? I've looked though the ID section but cannot find it. I've found this anemone in the local fish store and its only being called a sand anemone. It looks a bit like a Condy
but with very elaborate curls in each tentacle. The base is brown and the tentacles go from vibrant pint to white, I've never seen anything quite like it. Any ideas? and is this of the more difficult variety to care for or about the same as a Condy.
kind regards
Lex
<I think this is a Macrodactyla doreensis... and a gorgeous specimen!
Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/macrodoreensis.htm
and the linked files above re this species husbandry. Bob Fenner>

Long Tentacled Anemone?/Anemone ID 10/30/09
Hey guys!!
<Hello Scott>
Thanks again for all you do!!
<You're welcome.>
Wanted to check in with the experts! Saw this at a LFS and was told it was a LTA. Resisted the urge to buy before doing some research.
<Good.>
First question... is this correctly identified? It didn't really look like the LTAs on WWM. Thanks for the help!! Any and all info always appreciated!
<Appears to be a young Corkscrew/Long Tentacled Anemone. I'm not so sure I'd purchase this specimen seeing that dirty bubble up box filter they are using for filtration. Use caution here especially if he has had this animal for a few days, it may be on it's way out. A picture showing the oral disc/mouth would have been better. James (Salty Dog)>

Bleached anemone follow up and id 8/11/2009
Hi Crew!
Hi Mr. Fenner!
<Claire>
Here I begin again to bother you with some questions...
One month ago, I sent you the picture of an anemone that you told me being very badly bleached. It went into hiding and after one week, I began to dismantle the rocks to find where it was. I found it on a rock
under another rock, where I was unable to do anything for it. So I moved a little bit the rock carefully and I began to feed it. I bought smelt fish and raw shrimps and gave it a little bit of a finely chopped mix
with tweezers or smelt fish and shrimps after blender with a pipette.
After one week, I saw that it moved to be more accessible. And I remarked that my first hermit (blue-legged) was trying to steal the food from the anemone. I think that he damaged the oral disk (reverse side )
because I saw 2 holes in the disk one day after when the anemone was contracting the disk.
<This disc/mouth is fine>
So, from this moment, I feed the hermit at the same time I feed the anemone and things are ok. Two days ago, one hour after feeding, I saw that the mouth was like "everted" - a bit like a ball - and then it came
back to a size more reasonable, but still gaping. I am pretty anxious for the health of this anemone.
<It is much improved from your last report>
I send you three pictures of the anemone: the one I sent you before (for comparison), the everted mouth from Friday and the picture from today.
Please, could you tell me if it looks better to you and id it for me? (I am lost between the Entacmaea quadricolor and other kinds). I am feeding every two or three days.
<Is likely a LTA>
The other question is concerning ocellaris. I bought a couple a juvenile ocellaris (farm-raised) and from a few days, they do not even look at the anemone.
<Not atypical behavior from tank bred/reared clowns... May or may not learn/communicate in time with the anemone>
They look mostly at the Caulerpa (really love it).
They do not accept food either. Do I have to feed them the same food I feed the others or simply to be patient?
<Experiment... read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfdgfaqs.htm>
I tried to give them Spectrum Grow from New Life, they were eating this at the LFS, but until now, I do not have any success.
Thanks for your wonderful sharing of knowledge,
Claire
<A pleasure. Bob Fenner>


Re: Bleached anemone follow up and id 8/13/2009
Hi Crew!
Hi Mr Fenner!
<Claire>
Good morning to all of you...
<We'll see; if and when I wake up>
Thank you very much for your fast answer and for the ID of the anemone.
I am very comforted to see that the care for the bleached anemone has positive results in the meantime. About the ocellaris clowns, I had read all the FAQs and the articles concerning these little guys on your site before asking you, but you know the anxiety of new marine aquarists...
After your answer, and seeing that they would not still eat nothing, I decided to apply the same politics that I follow with my best friend, my cat (15 years old now). I stopped to give them any food for two days, as I do not want overload my tank with organic matters.
<Ahh!>
I tried yesterday
night again, and this time they came happily to eat (I shut power heads and auxiliary pump before). They just had their meal now and were ravenous, so I think this problem is solved. I just will have to be very patient (very difficult thing indeed for me) to let them settle down and find a suitable spot, anemone or not.
<Patience is indeed a virtue at times>
Thanks again for all your help!
Claire
<And you for sharing. BobF>

Anemone Identification Likely a Long Tentacle Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) 4/28/2009
<H>ey,
<Hello>
<I> bought this "anemone" last week and <I> wanted to know what kind it is.
<It is an anemone>
<I> was told by the LFS that its was a long tentacle anemone.
<It appears to be a LTA>
I posted some pics on another forum and someone had said it looked like it was a plate coral,.
<Not even close>
but another member of the forum said he didn<'>t know what it was but it didn<'>t look like a anemone.
<They were wrong>
<H>e ask<ed> if the base of the anemone was reddish. <I> told him it was and took a pic for him to see. <H>e then said that he was pretty sure it was an anemone. <I> just wanted to ask <yo>u guys what <yo>u think it is.
<I>t looks very much like a long tentacle plate coral. <T>ell me what <yo>u think.
<T>h<ank -x>s
<It is a Long Tentacled Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) You can read about their proper care here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macrodoreensis.htm As well as the linked pages at the top Do realize that LTAs do not like living on rocks, but rather in sand\mud.
Also, in future correspondence, please use proper grammar rather than
"netspeak".>
<Mike>

Anemone noob, help please! LTA -- 07/01/07 Recently, I was given an entire salt water present as a gift. <Wow!> Although I've always been interested in and loved marine life, I was so unprepared for something of this caliber. Oh, and to complicate matters even further, I was also given an anemone. So, my tank consists of 2 blue damselfish, 1 clownfish and a non-hosting anemone. I was told that it is a "long tentacle" anemone, but it doesn't have the thing looking tentacles that I see in most of the pictures. I'm very concerned about my anemones' health. <Is an LTA, Macrodactyla doreensis... from the shape of the tentacles, radiations from the disc out to/on the tentacles...> I have been feeding it small pieces of frozen silversides, <Need to be small... less than a quarter inch...> since the clown fish isn't hosting in it and I've read that hosting anemones get a majority of their food from their guests (?). <No... a myth... Need bright light/photosynthesis and purposeful feeding> I'm attaching a picture, but I don't know how the color will be. The anemone has a red base, <Another ID clue...> but is buried in the sand currently. <Is where this species lives... in muck actually> It has a pink-red almost translucent color, but the ends of the tentacles appear to be greenish. It also has white stripes coming out from its mouth. <Good description> I guess my question is, is my anemone okay? I maintain the pH & temperature, regularly test nitrite, nitrate and ammonia. Oh, and the tank I have is only 12 gallons. It's an AquaPod, but I was not given a manual or anything for it so I am really unsure about the lighting. http://www.current-usa.com/aquapods.html is the website, giving the following as lighting specifications for the 12 gallon model "1x27w SunPaq | Dual Daylight & 1x27w SunPaq | Dual Actinic" It has a blue and a white light, as well as an LED light. I keep the blue and white on during the day, and just the LED while I sleep. <Appears okay thus far> I also think my anemone might be splitting.. Either that or it has just decided to become misshapen with haphazard tentacles. I'm confused as to why it would split though. Thank you so much for your time. -Lezlie p.s. Sorry for the excess of pictures, I'm not sure which one depicts my anemone from the most helpful angle. <No worries, and we're in "luck"... I just finished a survey article re this species... yesterday: Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macrodoreensis.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Anemone help- the forgotten (unimportant?) details... -- 07/01/07 In addition to the clownfish, 2 damselfish and anemone, I also have 3 snails, a peppermint shrimp and 3 hermit crabs. I maintain the temperature around 80 degrees and the pH around 8.3. The tank was cycled for quite a while before anything was introduced. <Good> Live sand and some live rock (I'm unsure of the exact amount because this was all down before I knew of the tank). Terribly sorry to bother. The site is amazing, I wish I had known about it way earlier! Thanks again, Lezlie
<Welcome my friend. 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 Cj

Identifying an Anemone 11/11/05 Hello Bob, thank you very much for replying!! <Welcome> My question regards trying to identify an anemone I have. I am pretty sure it is an LTA, as these are the only ones I can find on the web that resemble mine. I have attached some photos so maybe you can tell me if I am correct. <Is a Macrodactyla doreensis: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm. One of whose common names is the LTA, yes> Also I am having a rough time placing this little guy. (seems common with LTA anemones, another reason I'm thinking that's what this is...) he always seems to end up in live rock "caves" or face down in the sand. Right now I have him on the substrate with a clear plastic bowl over him with holes drilled in it, which gives him just enough room to spread out and move around a little. Anything else I should do?? <Mmm, best to "nestle" in an opening twixt two or more rocks...> I have read that LTA like to be in the substrate, not on the rocks. Am I correct? <Yes> Also, he has no tears to his foot, appears very vigorous and healthy, and eagerly devours any shrimp or squid I give him 1-2 times a week. I have had him for about three weeks now. I have a 30 gallon tank with 25 Lbs. of live rock, ammonia is 0, nitrites 0, nitrates very low, pH of 8.3. I also use Phosguard by Seachem to control phosphorous/algae, and I supplement with calcium/magnesium, and add phytoplankton. I have 3 Damsels (still there from cycling), and a True Percula Clown, which absolutely loves the anemone. Also I have a Peppermint Shrimp, and some Blue Legged Hermits for algae control. My only coral so far is a patch of purple and green Zoanthids that came in on some LR. My substrate is 1.5 inch deep very finely crushed coral. Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you very much Eric <About all we have written re is posted on WWM... please see the link above the citation above... Bob Fenner>

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