I don't like to say that I'm positive, but I'd bet that the top one is a malu. I have a crispa and they don't tend to have the sharp looking tentacles like the top one. Most I've seen (mine included) look like the bottom one
I know, was thinking the same. Another difference which could be related to size is that it dug itself in open sand from the get-go. Also retracted into the sand before and doesn't seem to need to attach to rock/sand interface. The greatest aspect is size having stayed ~8" oral disc /1.25"-2.75" tentacles, which are usually ~1.5"1.75".
The plan was for two of the same species sebae's in hopes of a ♂♀, after all we're on the cutting edge. I'm not convinced the "H. malu" spawn of the Waikiki aquarium referenced in my first reply is the same species of what i've seen of the so called H. malu's from other geographical locations to the west. I've seen anemones resembling those of that report at the lfs and they look like smaller more delicate versions of clown fish hosting malu's havinf "non dyed" yellow tentacles and bright orange columns and included in a Hawaii shipment. Although they do host a damsel and clownfish aren't indigenous to Hawaii, I still think they're a sub species or something else.
I may get rid of the presumed H.malu. In the meantime hope there aren't going to be problems with the two if they are different species. I did add carbon as a precautionary measure.
The pink crispa is being a pita. It has attached and released and wandered four times since i got it ~two weeks ago. Found it in a A. humilis and blue tort 6am this morning, wasn't the first time, good thing it's not a bta or they would be toast. I dug more sand away from where it was to expose more rock and returned it there. Next time i'm going to either rotate the slab 45º to line up a A shaped end cave for it to insert part of the foot column or remove that slab of rock and put in a large open upside down show size cats paw coral for it to attach like bta's. It's column was attached down into rock like a bta when i picked it up from the fish store and i know that crispa's can be found between corals in the wild. I'm also thinking of sandwich it where it is between the vertical A slab with a L shaped table top like rock. Not sure yet, i'll see how long it stays put this time.
I agree, my large purple H. crispa looks just like the bottom one.
Yes and so did my first H. crispa which started out looking just like H. malu when 3" 'till it got to ~7", having grown 10"+, within the first year.
My local petco has a crispa i'm thinking of picking up to have two. It's ~4"-5" tan/purple pin dots at the tips. I'm sure it's a crispa, resembleing my last one. Will have to get rid of the presumed H. malu first to free up realestate. Not something i'm in a hurry to do given how few and far between purple's are in fish stores. On the other hand i'd like to think we're attempting to break new ground which cannot happen without experimenting with multiples, so we'll see.
) I think as it's not even well documented in the wild as to what triggers the events, we are far from understanding how to replicate this in captivity.
