Crispa or Malu

[Ron Popeil]

Im 90% sure this is a Heteractis malu. Help me fill in that remaining 10% of certainty.

I dont have any pictures of the base, but its solid white, lumpy and leathery like one would expect out of a H. crispa.

What do you think?

 

[davocean]

Sure looks like Malu to me too based on those two pics.

 

[humphreyhh]

I guess malu too. Its tentacles are kinda chubbier than what crispa normally has. It could be a hungry crispa though...

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[OrionN]

I think it is a Malu also. You know for sure in a year or two.

 

[phender]

I wish I could help you be more certain, but I can't. How long have you had the anemone?
IME, if there are markings on the tentacles of H. malu, they are usually in the form of annual rings.
The markings on your anemone's tentacles match more of what I have seen on recently imported H. crispa or ones that are regaining zooxanthellae.

Based on the pics and your description, I would be closer to 50/50.

 

[deangelr]

another vote for malu!

 

[Ron Popeil]

Thank you everyone for your expertise!

I wish I could help you be more certain, but I can't. How long have you had the anemone?
IME, if there are markings on the tentacles of H. malu, they are usually in the form of annual rings.
The markings on your anemone's tentacles match more of what I have seen on recently imported H. crispa or ones that are regaining zooxanthellae.

Based on the pics and your description, I would be closer to 50/50.

This has been in my aquarium about 3 weeks. Collected in Australia.

 

[traveller7]

Based on just the picture and no other data provided, I'd be leaning crispa over malu.

Radial lines on the oral disk, a couple of tentacles that are "healthy" but split, all match some of my prior crispas. Of course, they could have been improperly ID'd as well

 

[Ron Popeil]

ah, well all encouraging. its supposed to be crispa...lets see what happens after some feedings and a few more months.

thank you!

 

[davocean]

And both being indigenous to Australia...guess over some time size will confirm ID, FWIW Malu became my favorite sand dwellar and mixed reef nem due to size and sand based, hopefully it turns out healthy and beautiful for you either way, would like to see follow ups when you have a better idea.

 

[aznflyfisherman]

I want one of these, which one is easier to keep, i have a few btas in my 110g tank currently, i like the purple ones. Thanks

 

[JonezNReef]

Crispa or Malu

Looks similar to my Malu. Either way it looks really good, happy and healthy

Here's mine with no lights on. (crappy iPhone pic with flash)

With lights on (sorry about the blue)

 

[Ron Popeil]

any updated thoughts?

 

[pfan151]

I'd go crispa. My LFS got one in that looked identical a few weeks ago. It caught my eye because it was the first time I had every seen a non bleached crispa in a LFS.

 

[davocean]

<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/user/ronaldpopeil/media/937EA20D-2B61-4B3B-AF81-3817747F914F_zpsemjzruy8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b293/ronaldpopeil/937EA20D-2B61-4B3B-AF81-3817747F914F_zpsemjzruy8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 937EA20D-2B61-4B3B-AF81-3817747F914F_zpsemjzruy8.jpg"/></a>

any updated thoughts?

Looks identical to my my last two Malu's in that pic

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I think it's a Malu too but ragardless of its true ID, that's one nice looking nem.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I hit up a fish store in OC today and they had a bunch of nems labeled as Sebae. There were two distinct groups of these "Sebae" anemones. Group one consisted of purple anemones very similar to yours. The other group included greenish looking nems. Group 2 had definite characteristics of H. Malu while group 1 did not have them. You can compare the pics below. I also recorded a video and will post them later. Which group does your nem look closer to?
Group 1


Group 2

 

[Ron Popeil]

thanks for those pictures. youre right that my anemone does look much more like group 1 than group 2.

im just not seeing the growth out of the center tentacles as i would expect if this was a crispa. i would think it would start to get more dense with more uniform tentacle length.

more updates in the next few months. thanks again everyone!

 

[OrionN]

I think your anemone and both groups above are Malu. Crispa have denser tentacles and bigger anemones.
Ron
How large is your anemone? How much feeding?

 

[Ron Popeil]

hi minh, the anemone is about 4-5" in diameter, although its folded in half due to its current position in the rocks. ive actually stopped feeding it because it was getting rapidly bigger in size, just not with its tentacle length. If it is a malu, id like to keep it smaller.