H. crispa vs. H. malu

[phender]

LiveAquaria.com has a great example of the difference in the two species in their Diver's Den.
The two have similar coloration. I am impressed that they are IDed correctly.

H. crispa - notice the markings on the tentacles are marbled. (they don't always have these markings)

H. malu - notice the rings on the tentacles. These are "usually" present in H. malu.

Of course once the anemones are subjected to the stress of transport, poor conditions, etc., the tentacles shrink and get fat and it becomes even more difficult to tell them apart.

If the links break on the pics, I downloaded them so I can get them back up.

I don't know why the pics aren't showing in the post. I think I did it right.

 

[GSMguy]

here is an H. malu that live aquaria had nice color

 

[MJI]

Phil - great post my friend.

 

[GSMguy]

H.malu

H. Crispa

 

[Slakker]

Good idea posting the images, GMSguy...LA's pages disappear inconveniently when WYSIWYG specimens sell.

Great post, Phil...I saw these and didn't even think about how well they illustrated the difference.

 

[maxxII]

This is a great post as I bought a beautiful purple anemone from LiveAquaria that was labeled as H.crispa, but is in reality a purple H.malu...

Neat anemone, but I wouldnt ahve bought it if it was correctly labeled...

Nick

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9489698#post9489698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
This is a great post as I bought a beautiful purple anemone from LiveAquaria that was labeled as H.crispa, but is in reality a purple H.malu...

Neat anemone, but I wouldnt ahve bought it if it was correctly labeled...

Nick

are you sure it is a malu?

 

[maxxII]

I'm about 90%. I had my doubts when it first came in.
There appear to be tiny white rings on the tentacles, and the mouth does not appear like the H.crispa's does in the above picture.

Nick

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9491533#post9491533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
I'm about 90%. I had my doubts when it first came in.
There appear to be tiny white rings on the tentacles, and the mouth does not appear like the H.crispa's does in the above picture.
Nick

Mouth shapes are variable. The mouth on the pictured H. crispa is not typical.

Thanks for posting the pics GSMguy. I wasn't in a place where I could upload the pics to a server.

 

[maxxII]

Okay, well what do you guys think this anemone is?

It was sold as H.crispa.

Here is the image from Divers Den

And here are some pics I just took. Sorry, I dont have a macro lens to take really detailed shots with. It was annoyed I took it out of the tank and placed in the glass for photos, so it wasnt giving up shots of the verrucae . The verrucae are in three rows and are purple colored as well.

Tentacles almost look like they could be marbled like H.crispa, but they are not large enought to see clearly, and the lack of a macro lens doesnt help either.

If it feels like cooperating, I'll try and take some pics showing the verrucae.

Nick

 

[maxxII]

Its still kinda annoyed, but I was able to take pics of the sides showing verrucae.

Nick

 

[55semireef]

Looks like your Heteractis species is more than annoyed. Looks like it is slowly dying.

 

[maxxII]

Uhm...it was pooping.

Other than the deflated looked from expelling waste, what makes you think that.

Nick

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9496943#post9496943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
Uhm...it was pooping.

Other than the deflated looked from expelling waste, what makes you think that.

Nick

Well, first off, it is unattached, looks very deflated and looks severely stressed in the latter pictures. I never said it is slowy dying, I said it looks like it is. Is it attached to anything now?

 

[maxxII]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9497192#post9497192 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
Well, first off, it is unattached, looks very deflated and looks severely stressed in the latter pictures. I never said it is slowy dying, I said it looks like it is. Is it attached to anything now?

Its attached to the side of the tank currently. I also never accused you of saying it was slowly dying, if you re-read what you quoted before, I asked you what made you think that.

Those later pictures where taken after I put it back in the tank after being in the glass for the first pics. No doubt that is the source of the stress you mentioned. Is there something else you're seeing that I'm not?....not trying to be argumentative, you've got a crispa, I've got something that may or may not be a crispa, so I'm asking you.

Nick

 

[GSMguy]

tentacles look like crispa but just malnourished keep it fed well and the long tentacles will grow in

Get it attached to a permanent spot moving it is very stressfull

 

[GSMguy]

my LFS had a a perfect H. malu yesterday when i was there wish i had brought the camera

they have like 8 blue gigantea as well