Any thoughts on the lack of sexual reproduction of anemones in aquaria?

[Gary Majchrzak]

all anemone spawnings in my aquarium (S.haddoni, M. doreensis, S.gigantea) have occurred late in the afternoon photoperiod.
A 'puckering up' of the anemone is usually observed before the actual spawning event. Fishes usually eat gametes.
I don't think any of my anemones had 'stress spawns'.
If I had to pin it down to any one condition that might have triggered the spawns it would be the sun. Late afternoon sunlight shining on each anemone in early spring and early autumn.

 

[Urchinhead]

My two cents...

Isn't it the case that depending on the Order of the given anemone it can reproduce either by sexual or asexual reproduction?

On the skimmer removing the eggs/sperm front... I would wonder what the amount of total water filtration occurs in N amount of time in relation to what the concentration of eggs/semen is in the water and the the behavior of the planula which is to seek a hard surface to attach to... In other words are the enough planula in the water column so that at least some subset of them survive long enough to firmly plant themselves and become a polyp before they are sucked out of the water column by the skimmer?

That said I believe that most hobbyist aquariums don't have allot of anemones in them thus limiting the chance of a sexual reproduction...

I had plans in mind for a species only tank of maxi-mini anemones so it will be interesting to find out.

 

[marc price]

...and my problem with your experiment is that maxi-mini's divide much like bta's so they may continue with that mode long before a spawning event and also that they're not a clownfish hosting anemone.

Gary, my aquarium receives south western sunlight around the same time of year. To date i've yet to see a spawning event from E. quadricolor and solitary S. haddoni's, H. crispa and presumed H. malu. Never the less i will be watching next spring.

 

[OrionN]

I got three of the S. tapetum (larger variety) in a tank and two H. crispa (possibly S. malu) in a tank. They are in my office and I am not feeding them a whole lot. I am bringing them home in the near future, then I can take better car of them.
H. crispa (or S. malu) was the species that the A. Scott, PhD, in Australia was able to sexually reproduced in captivity. She initially called them H. malu but lately what I read ID them as H. crispa. There are maddeningly little detail as to how she was able to achieve this. It seem to me from reading she is trying to keep this a secrete in hope of able to use it commercially (just my feeling I may be wrong). Anyway, if anybody know of more detail on this please point them out to me.

I hope I will be able to do something. I had them for more than three years and they only about 1-12 cm in diameter. I have not feed them a huge amount but I am feeding them every week or 10 days.

 

[puter]

A. Scott worked with both E. quadricolor and H. crispa anemones which were maintained in flow-through outdoor seawater tanks. So, while the information she provides on embryonic development is very interesting, it provides little help to us in determining what environmental cues we need to replicate to induce spawning in captive tanks.

I've had a number of the larger S. tapetum (maxi-mini) anemones for several years now. None of them have split (on their own) and I haven't witnessed any spawning events.

 

[Urchinhead]

...and my problem with your experiment is that maxi-mini's divide much like bta's so they may continue with that mode long before a spawning event and also that they're not a clownfish hosting anemone.

Pardon me. I am far from an expert and may have overstepped by posting. And thank you. That was good to know. And gives me an excuse to expand into a mixed anemone tank, all in the name of "science"

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

...and my problem with your experiment is that maxi-mini's divide much like bta's so they may continue with that mode long before a spawning event and also that they're not a clownfish hosting anemone.

Gary, my aquarium receives south western sunlight around the same time of year. To date i've yet to see a spawning event from E. quadricolor and solitary S. haddoni's, H. crispa and presumed H. malu. Never the less i will be watching next spring.

there's probably much more to inducing a spawning than simply having an anemone receive sunlight.

for the record: maxi mini Stichodactyla tapetum do not divide much like Entacmaea quadricolor- in fact, I've never heard nor seen of a maxi mini dividing. Perhaps you're confusing maxis with the miniature types that divide?


here's a maxi mini spawning

photo courtesy of Randy O

female Macrodactyla doreensis spawning

 

[OrionN]

The mini S. tapetum reproduce asexually like rats but my larger mini carpet have not. I am sure if we keep them well and keep on feeding them, they will spawn because the food have to go somewhere. If they reach maximum size and not asexually reproduce, they got to spawn.
BTW, these two carpet species are not at all the same. I wish we can find the true name for them rather than call them Maxi and Mini S. tapetum. They both cannot be S. tapetum

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

They both cannot be S. tapetum

according to the anemone experts I've talked to they can :fun4:

 

[BonsaiNut]

I wish we can find the true name for them rather than call them Maxi and Mini S. tapetum. They both cannot be S. tapetum

Can you get me good photos of each? I can forward them to a few people in the scientific community who might know...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

perhaps best left for another thread not to derail this

perhaps best left for another thread not to derail this

but since we're here

Can you get me good photos of each? I can forward them to a few people in the scientific community who might know...

both appear very similar if not identical.
the primary physical difference is size:
"mini" @ 2" or less diameter (shaded specimen seen at bottom)
"maxi" @ 6" or less diameter (colorful specimen above shading a mini below it)

another size comparison shot: minis to the left, maxi to the right

different color morphs of the "maxi" type

closeup shot of tentacles (which appear identical in structure in both maxis and minis)

maxis are usually found solitary or located a short distance from other individuals.
minis usually form a tight cluster of clones and can appear as a continuous dense mat.

 

[OrionN]

The Mini's multiply like crazy by fission while my three Maxi have not done so yet for 6 months (just 6 months for 1 and 2-3 months for the other two). They do look similar but one group is much smaller than the other.

 

[puter]

A link that may be of interest to anyone curious about S. tapetum anemones:

http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/tapetum.htm

And, here's a blog entry about a visit by Dr. Fautin when she identified them:

http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/07/show-me-mone.html

 

[marc price]

there's probably much more to inducing a spawning than simply having an anemone receive sunlight.

for the record: maxi mini Stichodactyla tapetum do not divide much like Entacmaea quadricolor- in fact, I've never heard nor seen of a maxi mini dividing. Perhaps you're confusing maxis with the miniature types that divide?

i was under the impression they were the same species. i've very limited experience with mini's holding them for someone for a few days, during which time one became three.

 

[OrionN]

While they maybe the same species, the Maxi S. tapetum do not devide whild the Mini S. tapetum multiply like rats and move all over the place

 

[marc price]

maxis are usually found solitary or located a short distance from other individuals.
minis usually form a tight cluster of clones and can appear as a continuous dense mat.

I can remember reading something like that written about E. quadricolor. IIRC, small E. quadricolor reproduce be fission and are found in shallow water in vast colonies numbering in the hundred's (thousands), well large solitary individuals are found in deeper water and reproduce sexually.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

good point, marc.
perhaps there's a reason for this in both BTA's and MCA's.

 

[OrionN]

This morning I find my H. malu with eggs in its tentacles. I am sure that it is a H. malu because I have had her for 3 years and she is no bigger than 7 inches, now with eggs even at that size. My other anemone with her is likely a H. malu also is slightly bigger is without egg. They are in my 30 g tank. I tried to take picture with my point and shoot camera but will get SLR from home later this PM to see if I can take better picture. These anemone get morning sun for about 4-5 hrs in my office, at a window facing east. They get feed but not overfeed, and get 10 g water change every month out of 30 g sump less, no skimmer tank with sand bed 3 years old. The tank is also full of Xenia and occasional clams. I use it as a clam quarantine clam. They are under 150 W DE MH 12 hrs light cycle 7-7. Summer here has longer day length but in the winter they get 12 hrs.
I had my Onyx pair with them but this pair is at a friend getting breed. He had several hundreds baby near the point of sale-able. Pictures of these two anemones later

 

[Fishy_Clown]

Amazing stuff so far.

Has anyone ever observed any planula or even managed to keep any alive or even try to raise them? Of all the literature I have found, it appears as though research into this ceased and in the past few years, very little is being done in this area. I wonder why? With the ethical side to anemones in the trade becoming more of an issue, and with the rising cost of anemones (sorry, here I am referring to carpent anemones), it puzzles me that there are no nem farms out there getting ready to make a fortune?
I know it would be very difficult, but that was said about marine fish in general many years ago, and now look where we are Why is the same not true for nems?

 

[marc price]

Minh, which one the purple or the green tipped?