Anemone ID needed...

[SlukBunWalla]

I bought this anemone from the LFS I work at for $10. It's been in our system for more than 6 months under our less than perfect lighting...and it's been doing great. It eats well and has great color. (I am pretty amazed!) So I thought if it did that well under less than ideal conditions for so long, it should really flourish in my tank. I brought it home and put it under my HO t5s...and eventually I'll add my 150 HQI. I don't want to light shock it.

Anyway we had it listed as a "Sebae Anemone" which is very precise. So I was hoping someone here could give me an educated guess as to the scientific name. I'm thinking it's a Heteractis crispa...perhaps malu.

It has ringed striation pattern up the lenth of each tenticle and is tipped in purple. (Purple is it's predominant color).

In the background you can see a baby GBTA that split of one ours at work. I rescued him from the low light tanks there as well.

Any thoughts or tips would be greatly appreciated.

~Adam

 

[Slakker]

I think it might be H. Malu, but the pics are kind of far away to get a real eye on any of the details.

 

[elegance coral]

I'm thinking Crispa, but I don't recall seeing one with that pattern on the tentacles.

 

[SlukBunWalla]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12609837#post12609837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elegance coral
I'm thinking Crispa, but I don't recall seeing one with that pattern on the tentacles.

That was my hurdle too. It's looks most like a crispa...but those striations are what messes with that theory.

 

[garygb]

I would guess H. malu.

 

[SlukBunWalla]

malu...crispa...malu...crispa...

Are there any sure fire ways of distinguishing? I know a lot of species in the Heteractis genus are highly variable among individuals...but something is certainly tying the members of a species together...

Either way I'm very happy with it so far. It's really put on a display for me since bringing it home. It was ok at the store but now under my lights it's like the anemone is saying, "Oh yeah...that's the stuff!"

 

[idareefer]

H-crispa don't have rings

 

[SlukBunWalla]

Am I too assume that H. malu does commonly have those ringed striations? If so, I guess we have a winner.

 

[idareefer]

check some pics out on Divers Den...Live aquaria, they sometimes show these anemones

 

[Slakker]

H. Malu does have the rings on the tentacles, yes, it's just that I don't recall ever seeing a malu with such long tentacles.

 

[tmz]

THis link may be of interest.
http://www.reefimages.com/Anemones/Anemones.htm

 

[SlukBunWalla]

None of the pictures of either malu or crispa look much like mine...could it possible be some sort of hybrid or something? Some photo of a H. aurora look similar but mine lacks the beaded bumpy things...

Granted this anemone, as I said earlier, was under less than ideal conditions so far as light is concerned. Perhaps that has something to do with it. I'll give it some time under some good lighting and see if it's color changes into something a bit more recognizable.

 

[tmz]

It looks like an Actineria or Actinodenotron anemone.

 

[SlukBunWalla]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12627621#post12627621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
It looks like an Actineria or Actinodenotron anemone.

Hmmmm...I doubt it.

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12634807#post12634807 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SlukBunWalla
Hmmmm...I doubt it.

Why? What do you think it is?

 

[gspgretchen]

Looks like my H. aurora

 

[SlukBunWalla]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12634889#post12634889 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
Why? What do you think it is?

Because those are "branching" anemones...from what the good image search results looked like. This does do that.

Like I said I'm pretty sure it's either H. crispa or H. malu. I doubt it's an aurora, since it doesn't have the beaded texture. But I suppose it's a possibility.

 

[tmz]

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Slakker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12623718#post12623718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SlukBunWalla
None of the pictures of either malu or crispa look much like mine...could it possible be some sort of hybrid or something? Some photo of a H. aurora look similar but mine lacks the beaded bumpy things...

Granted this anemone, as I said earlier, was under less than ideal conditions so far as light is concerned. Perhaps that has something to do with it. I'll give it some time under some good lighting and see if it's color changes into something a bit more recognizable.

Seen a few nems in my days on here that were determined to be either really strange specimens of one species, or a hybrid of two species. Could be.

 

[marc price]

i don't consider those striations to be rings. i've seen large H. crispa's with striations of the same exact pattern, just not as high of a contrast. i question if the high contrast is the result of his digicam. i'm not saying it cannot be H. malu, too small to tell. i think based on the exposed amount of surface area of its oral disc (poss. reason inner tentacles are short), that the tentacle's thinness could be because it's not getting as much light as it wants, especially if it's H. malu which live in calm shallow waters. it does appear to have a high density of tentacles pointing to H. crispa. you'll prob. have to wait till it grows to make the call but it's either crispa or malu and not the other species mentioned.

edit: helps somewhat to know the color of the column and if the upper area of the column (underside of the oral disc), darker. H. malu are said to have a violet-brown colored upper column due to the presents of zooxanthellae.