Hitchhiker Anemone ID

[MikeF]

Hi

Brought some live rock recently and found a small anemone attached. About the size of my small finger nail. Sorry about the photo quality.

Anyhow it started to grow pretty quickly and turned a bright green colur with purple tips. Yesterday I got home to find it has split into what looks like 4 seperate pieces.

Anyone want to help me ID it.

Thanks

Mike

 

[bradleym]

It is unfortunately a pest anemone called "majano" or "tulip" anemone. There several variants of the majano; the tulip anemone is a majano with pink tips, but I believe yours with purple tips is the same. Neat find though, never seen a majano with purple tips.

 

[MikeF]

Thanks Bradley I think your right.

Spoke with my LFS and after considering things will keep a watchful eye on them as it seeems a shame to get rid of them. Seems that they are not as bad as Aiptasia.

They are set in a corner away from all corals so will see what happens.

Cheers

 

[PJtree23]

I would possibly reconsider.

You don't want to decide to get rid of them AFTER they've taken over your DT, and are stinging your fish and coral.

Thanks Bradley I think your right.

Spoke with my LFS and after considering things will keep a watchful eye on them as it seeems a shame to get rid of them. Seems that they are not as bad as Aiptasia.

They are set in a corner away from all corals so will see what happens.

Cheers

 

[MM WI]

Lots of people do like the colorful majanos but you need to be careful, I have them in some of my tanks. People that come out to buy coral often ask for them. I give them away to those that want them. For a coral tank they will become a problem if you let them off of the one rock you designate for them or don't remove the rock before it gets covered. The Majano wand works good on Majanos, not so good on aipstasia as the aipstasia are so hard to get at and if you dont get the whole thing they reproduce like mad. An aipstasia in the open with no where to retreat is killed quickly by the wand, more quickly than a majano but so few of them will be cooperative. Your green and purple anemones look a little different than the ones i am familiar with but are likely a similar deal. I would certainly zap that brown one and would recomend caution with the others.

- mark