carpet anemone identification education???

[geckoejon]

hello,

is there a link to a page defining characteristics between carpet anemone types?

i just got off the phone with another lfs that reportedly had a gig in stock. they didn't have a clue that there were different types. they just kept asking, "do you want a certain color or something?" i informed them that i was specifically looking for a gigantea, and they didn't have a clue. i still am somewhat amazed that people can sell something for a living and not even know the details and what type they have.

i have had this issue repeatedly trying to get a lfs to get in gigs. it would be a lot easier for me to send a link stating something like...

"gigantea have purple / blue spots on the underside of the pedal... ect..."

 

[D-Nak]

The problem with gigantea and haddoni, aside from both being Stichodactyla sp. and wholesalers sometimes only referring to them as such, the characteristics typical of one species sometimes shows up on the other. For example, both have verrucae, though gigantea are usually more pronounced and have a color, while haddoni have them but are usually the same color as the body. BUT... I have seen gigantea with very faded verrucae and haddoni with colored verrucae.

The trick is combining the characteristics and then coming up with a best guess based on what's seen and not seen.

Unfortunately, most of the ID sites are incorrect. Even when searching for images via Google, I've found photos that are mid-IDed.

 

[geckoejon]

gotcha... that makes sense. i can see how that would be true with the different characteristics. do you think it could possibly be from different types of nems breeding? maybe a gig and a haddoni or a crispa and a malu?

i kind of wondered about that when i found a crispa awhile back. it has the coloration commonly found on a malu, but the tentacles and foot of a crispa...