Found a huge colony of zoanthids in wild

[SoFloReefer]

I found a giant colony in the intercoastal on a bolder. It is roughly a circle with diameter of 2 feet. It is right next to the surface depending on tide. The reason I'm posting this is that I noticed that the same colony had three distinct morphs in it. The three morphs seem to occur at different light levels, due to shading effects of nearby rocks. The brightest of the morphs was at the top of the colony near the highest light level. Even though I won't post the location due to its easy of accessibility, I will try to get a picture.

 

[Amipro]

Looking forward to the pics. Interested to see how the different light affects the morphs.

 

[8-ball]

Yes I want to see pics too.

 

[A. Grandis]

Normal.
That happens all the time with all the species.
That's why they change color when we put them in the tank: different light.
Same colony with different color morphs in the tank can happen, but it's not normal because of the tiny difference of the light effect on the colonies, comparing to the ocean/sun.
The bigger the colony, the easiest to notice.

Grandis.

 

[SoFloReefer]

I need to borrow my cousins under water camera and I will get some pics of it at high tide. Something even more interesting. I just went there at mid to low tide, and about 1/3 of the colony was completely out of the water! This means that these zoanthids are able to handle being completely out of the water for several hours with no detrimental effects. I'm not saying that you can leave your zoanthids out of the water in the same way, but perhaps with acclimation they are able to become use to the air as they grow up the rock. Extremely interesting. There was a small nickle size piece that was about to break loose from the colony that I took with me. I'm about to put it in my tank and I will post a picture of it.

 

[A. Grandis]

Normal too. Not only for the zoas, but SPS/LOS corals and many other intertidal inverts.

Good you can get a nice camera! Please take pictures in the wild and in the tank.

Before somebody else gets it.

Grandis.

 

[salsipuedes]

seeing as to how I am in Boca, I am curious to see these pics!! I scuba dive / swim & snorkel (most dive) and have seen only a few lps corals and I've never seen zoas or ricordea down there. Maybe I'm just lookin in the wrong places? :sad1:

what kind of spot in the intracoastal was this? sand bar? Shelf? mangroves? near an inlet? backwater canal?

 

[SoFloReefer]

Near an inlet and near mangroves. I kind of doubt anyone will get this colony because of the size it has obviously been there for years. It is also in a spot where it is hard to spot. I have also never seen nice zoanthids and ricordea outside of the keys. The more I am in the water locally though, the more good spots I find. I used to think that I could only see good stuff doing scuba in 60 feet of water, but lately I've been working on free diving right from shore and I see amazing things every time I go out. Just in the past week some things I have seen that stand out are a ten foot nurse shark, a large spotted eagle ray, a 10 inch moray eel with a unusual color pattern, a spot loaded down with coral banded shrimp, two legal size lobsters, large SPS colony which I can't identify, a few four foot snook, and the list goes on. Once I get a camera for the water I will post some crazy pics.

 

[jstuver]

Wow I would love to see pics as well. That would be amazing to see a two foot rock covered in zoas!

 

[Opcn]

I wish you had waited until you had pics to tell us about it

 

[PR_Reefers]

I used to think that I could only see good stuff doing scuba in 60 feet of water, but lately I've been working on free diving right from shore and I see amazing things every time I go out

I know what you mean:lmao: I used to scuba also and had never seen zoa's or rics or any of the sweetest corals after snorkeling several spots from 0-10feet I have seen the most colorful and varied(coral-wise) spots,I'd say it beats any dive I've ever done

 

[SoFloReefer]

I broke my camera this morning so all I have to work with is an old point and shoot. This is the best pic I could get. They look blue.

 

[Dana42078]

Ive got some tanjellos, high, and low in my tank, and the brighter ones are lower in the tank. The ones closer to the light dulled in coloring.

 

[SoFloReefer]

I found another colony in the same area. Both colonies are exposed at low tide. I'm starting to think that zoanthids are around, you just have to know where to look.

 

[PR_Reefers]

I found another colony in the same area. Both colonies are exposed at low tide. I'm starting to think that zoanthids are around, you just have to know where to look.

you're right about that....you'll now you found a good spot when you find yourself walking amongst them hehehe