Help With Anemone ID & Thoughts

[Sig32]

Picked this anemone up over the weekend. It was labeled as a Sebae (hoping its a Malu) and would like to know your thoughts on it. I noticed different length tentacles and rings/banding on them. It looks bleached (although this may be normal coloring? idk) It was buried in the sand when purchased and stuck itself to the bottom of my container while I acclimated it. Once I put it in the tank, it opened up and seems to be doing good.

It's about 3" in diameter when closed (pic 1) and has since opened up to about 6". Can you help me ID this anemone and give my some thoughts/pointers helping get healthy (if it isn't already). Thanks

 

[D-Nak]

It looks like a long tentacle anemone, Macrodactyla doreensis.

 

[Sig32]

It looks like a long tentacle anemone, Macrodactyla doreensis.

Thanks for the reply. I was puzzled by the elongated tentacles and not seeing the shorter, stubby type. I'll add another photo below from today to see if this would help confirm the ID.

 

[garygb]

It looks like Heteractis crispa. Although it might dig into the sand and stay put, they often remain stationary best with their foot attached to live rock, such as a hole or cave in the rock.

 

[zooman72]

I would have to agree and go with H. crispa...

 

[Sig32]

Thanks gary & zooman for your input. ID'ing an anemone is quite the challenge, so I appreciate your replies. Hopefully it will feel happy where it is and stays put, as I would like to keep it regardless if its not a Malu.

What are your thoughts on the overall condition, anything stand out? Does it appear bleached to you, and if so, what would you recommend I do?

 

[garygb]

The column looks characteristically crispa, as do the tentacles, so I don't think you have a malu. As far as condition, it does look somewhat bleached, but crispas are often bleached when they come in. And if it is otherwise healthy, it should recover the zooxanthellae assuming the light is reef quality and the water parameters are good, e.g., sg 1.025-1.026, temp is 78-82F, and preferably nitrates are undetectable. I would refrain from feeding the anemone for about a week after adding to your tank. Allow the anemone to settle and then slowly attempt fresh seafood such as a pea size piece of table shrimp, or a similar size piece of squid, or a few mysis. Mine also will eat tilapia, but freshwater fish tend not to be as rich in omega fatty acids, so perhaps not the best food for regular or long-term feeding, but fine for an occasional feeding. Don't try to feed it if its foot is not securely attached. Sometimes an anemone will take food in, but regurgitate it a few hours later when not attached. I currently have a crispa that was bleached when I first got it. Providing the anemone good water parameters and light should bring it back to robust health, assuming there isn't a tear on the foot or an internal infection. For now, just focus on providing the above mentioned conditions.

 

[Sig32]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll follow your suggestions and keep a close eye on it.. Not that it is a game changer at this point since I am keeping the anemone, but I do have a question.

From what I have read, the Malu has banding on its tentacles vs marbling on the Crispa tentacles. Is this characteristic not a definitive ID of either anemone? I'm just trying to learn more about these anemones.

 

[davocean]

I also think Crispa, (One pic shows a reddish foot that would be normally indicative of LTA but I'm pretty sure that's a lighting thing, otherwise all others look very much like Crispa)

As for the rings on tentacles to help ID Malu, those are not always present, makes ID even more fun on these...

It may climb a little higher and have foot anchored on a rock but I'd leave it and let it do it's thing on it's own.

Squirt mysis towards it a couple times to help regain health and color, might end up being purple or purple beige maybe when healthy.

They like a lot of light, and can handle pretty good flow, much more so than Malu

 

[D-Nak]

I also think Crispa, (One pic shows a reddish foot that would be normally indicative of LTA but I'm pretty sure that's a lighting thing, otherwise all others look very much like Crispa)

Is it too late to change my ID?:thumbsup:

Admittedly I just looked at that same photo and thought I saw red on the foot.

 

[Sig32]

Thanks everyone. It’s definitely interesting trying to piece this puzzle together. I guess it’s true ID won’t be known until it matures and shows changes if any, correct?

From everything I have read on the Sebaes and I am the furthest from being any kind of an authority on the subject, I would have thought it’s a Malu. Here are a few characteristics I have noted (understand that’s not enough for definitive ID) and please feel free to educate me on the following, I want to learn more.

1. Attached in sand (that may just be a fluke)
2. Banding on tentacles, pic 3 (maybe stress induced?)
3. None of the tentacles are longer than ~.75” (could still be acclimating or needs to mature?)

Unfortunately I never got to see the column extended so that doesn’t help. I would have liked to, since I read about the differences in appearance. I’m curious if those differences would have been obvious and I would have been able to distinguish them. I understand the foot color, that’s been mentioned, contradicts my theory. Either way, Im happy with my new nem and it’s just fascinating trying to solve the mystery of “what is it?”

 

[OrionN]

To me, your anemone look more like a Malu. Wait about 1 month after the stress resolved, we can be a little more sure on the ID. 70/30 Malu/Crispa IMO at this time.

 

[Sig32]

Thanks for the input. Everyone's thoughts and opinions are truly valued. I’m really excited with my new nem regardless of what it turns out to be. I’ll keep everyone posted and continue reading and learning about these fascinating creatures.

 

[pfan151]

If it turns out to be a crispa I think it will be a really nice one when it colors up. Tough to find pink/purple ones. Can you check it’s foot to see if it is attached to the rock or the bottom of the tank?

 

[Sig32]

If it turns out to be a crispa I think it will be a really nice one when it colors up. Tough to find pink/purple ones. Can you check it's foot to see if it is attached to the rock or the bottom of the tank?

Thanks, I'm curious to see what color it ends up being. Unfortunately I cannot see the foot. That being said though, I made "pads" on a few outer rocks so that the entire rock island is elevated off of the bottom glass (see pic). The arrow shows the location of the anemone. There's no way to tell if the foot went straight down to the glass or attached the pad.

 

[zooman72]

Wow, that is nice work on those columns!

 

[Sig32]

Wow, that is nice work on those columns!

Thanks. I had a thread going of my build, but had all of my pictures on photobucket. I need to see if there's a way to go back and change the links to the pictures. The tank has changed quite a bit.

 

[Sig32]

Update: Need Some Help

Update: Need Some Help

So I have had my anemone for almost 6 weeks and I thought everything was going well. I did however notice that it was expelling, what I believe to be, zooanthellae about once a week (I witnessed 6 times). From my research I concluded this was normal as it was acclimating to its new environment. It also never showed signs of stress as it would open up afterwards like shown in the picture of post #3.

What I was a little concerned about was that I never could get it to eat, even after waiting about a week before I tried. I fed a small piece of shrimp and then settled on mysis shrimp, but never saw what I would interpret to be eating behavior.

Fast forward to Monday and I noticed the anemone was "puffy" almost ball like and swaying oddly in the water flow (see pic below). Upon closer inspection I realized that the anemone had detached its foot and was just sitting on top of the sand. This anemone had not moved since it attached itself minutes after I put it into the tank six weeks prior.

My water parameters are stable and do not fluctuate much, if any, (see below for measurements) and the only change in my system is my water temp lowered by 3 degrees over the course of two days due to a cold front. I have tried to "block" the anemone in its original spot as I don't want it getting caught up in the other corals or hurt if it goes bouncing around in the current. As of yesterday it looked like it had grabbed hold again, but just now I noticed that it was laying on top of the sand.

Can you please provide me with some thoughts on what might be happening and advice on what I should do?

Salt: 35
Alk: 10.2
Calc: 450
Mag: 1600
Nitrate: 4
Phos: .02
pH: 8.1
Temp: 82 down to 79

Taken 12/11

Taken 12/13

Taken 12/13

 

[OrionN]

The anemone regressed quite a bit. Unless thing change for the better, I afraid he won't make it.
I think he is a Malu. They should be on the sand

 

[Sig32]

Can you advise a plan of action that I should take? I really don’t know what I should do at this point, remove and treat, leave it be, continue to feed, etc. Hopefully I can save it, just don’t know how to go about it. I assume the situation is dire, so I am relying on the expertise from this forum. Thanks guys.