Heteractis aurora vs. Phymanthus sp.

[Rapide]

I've had a Phymanthus sp. (Buitendijki, perhaps) for a while now.
Today I'm going to get a Heteractis aurora from a fellow reefer, and it looks exactly like my Phymanthus! So I started to study those two species and mainly the differences between them, but the more I study the more they look the same!
How can I tell which do I have, and how can I tell them apart?? Are they in fact the same species just going by two names??

The one I'm gettig today has splitted several times, does that tell anything? The one I already have has not... The one I have is amazingly fast and sticky, and it closes in one second when it catches prey! Is that a clue?

 

[bradleym]

The H. Aurora usually has a red foot, has distinctive teardrop shaped patterns near the mouth, and grows to be 10 inches or more in size. Also, they are exclusively a sand anemone.

Phymanthus can be rock or sand, usually has a brown/tan/white foot, has patterns near the mouth, but not the same distinct type as Aurora, and will not usually grow anywhere near 5 inches. Also, they split, while Auroras do not.

One more thing that's hard to describe, Auroras have a separate row of tentacles half way from the edge to the mouth. Phymanthus only has them around the edge. This is best observed after the anemone has settled in.

I'm sure there are other differences, but this is how I can always tell them apart. All of the above also applies to E. Crucifer (rock anemone) which can look very similar to Phymanthus.

 

[Rapide]

Thanks Bradley!!
Epicystis used to be a separate genus, but aren't they all Phymanthus now?
OK so aurora does not split? So that means that the one I'm getting today is not an aurora bacause it has splitted.
The one I already have has tentacles all the way from the edge to the mouth, it is about 5-6 inches and stays on the sand. It has beige/tan foot and it moves every once in a while.

From what I have learned Phymanthus does not host anemone fishes, right? Could it be possible though? The one I'm getting hosts a pair of ocellaris...
I have to check those "tear drop" marks gs today...

 

[Rapide]

Yep... The new one is definitely not an aurora. I saw a lot of them in the tank where I got mine, and they were rock anemones. Most likely Phymanthus crucifer...