Magnifica or Ritteri?

davocean

davocean

Active member
OK, used to be Ritteri was the common name used most for this nem, then everyone started calling them Magnifica the most, and lately as I searched for one Ritteri seems to be the common label once again.
Can we pick one please??!!
I get really tired of always typing my Magnifica/Ritteri
 
Lol! Probably a futile battle. Magnifica should be the proper name as it is the scientific one currently. Radianthus ritteri is a debunked synonym.
 
I prefer Magnifica. 9 times out of 10 if I ask a local fish store for a Magnifica they won't have a clue. But if I say Ritteri they know what I'm asking for.
 
I prefer Mag as well, but I'm amazed at how many LFS I asked would say no, we don't have one, we only have BTA's and Ritteri at this time...:uhoh2:
 
What's even funnier to me is the place I got my most recent mag from, went in after weeks of asking, they said sorry, we still could not find a mag for you.
I was walking out and saw this one stuck on the glass w/ that obvious purple base beaming at me.
The label was right there on it, Ritteri, $79, which is cool because they were quoting me $149 for a mag! lol
 
I guess in this case the confusion helped me, saved me a bit of money, so glad I got a ritteri instead of a mag!
 
It really is one of the best nems to keep IMO, once you get them past that initial bacteria infection almost every one comes shipped w/ just set em up high on a rock w/ good light and medium flow and they will stay right there.
 
I completely agree. Quite hardy actually once fully acclimated.





Mine hasn't moved more than an inch or two on top of its high rock.
 
I actually think they are probably the least hardy anemone. I've kept all the host anemones and believe mags are probably the most likely species to either reinfect or respond poorly to water parameters. On the other end of the scale, my mertens could probably be blended and reform like the T1000 at this point.
 
Radianthus ritteri was the "old" incorrect scientific name it was (and still is) traded under.

The "ritteri" species name goes back to a description by Kwietniewski in 1897 as Antheopsis ritteri.

The name it was first described under was: Actinia magnifica by Quoy & Gaimard in 1833. Since this predates all other descriptions the valid species name is and always will be "magnifica"

Fautin then placed it into the genus Heteractis.
So the currently correct scientific name is: Heteractis magnifica (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833).

While the genus may at some point change again, the correct species will always be "magnifica".

So calling it magnifica is correct while ritteri is an incorrect synonym.
 
So would a Ritteri/Magnifica be a better choice for hosting my Mocha clowns than hoping they take a BTA? What are the odds they will hop right or readily take it as a host?
 
Well I'm not sure what mocha's are, mine are percula variant, and they would not accept a BTA I had, but they were in this mag in less than 5 minutes, so a natural host match gives a better chance of hosting and much faster than a non natural in most cases.
The stickied list does say BTA's are natural for both percs and occs but I don't think that is correct, I'm pretty sure it's not listed that way on Fautin and Allens which I believe is the most up to date list and info.
My last picasso's did accept a BTA, but like many others they lost black color after they did, I pulled those BTA's and black color came back, very weird.
That pair also never accepted a hadonni, and that was 4mo, and again, added a mag, immediate hosting.
 
ThRoewer said:
Radianthus ritteri was the "old" incorrect scientific name it was (and still is) traded under.

The "ritteri" species name goes back to a description by Kwietniewski in 1897 as Antheopsis ritteri.

The name it was first described under was: Actinia magnifica by Quoy & Gaimard in 1833. Since this predates all other descriptions the valid species name is and always will be "magnifica"

Fautin then placed it into the genus Heteractis.
So the currently correct scientific name is: Heteractis magnifica (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833).

While the genus may at some point change again, the correct species will always be "magnifica".

So calling it magnifica is correct while ritteri is an incorrect synonym.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, nice to know.
I have always and will continue to call them mags
 
Winwood said:
I actually think they are probably the least hardy anemone. I've kept all the host anemones and believe mags are probably the most likely species to either reinfect or respond poorly to water parameters.
Click to expand...

That has not been my experience. It's really hard to get them through the initial shipping and acclimation process (and I've lost a few), but one you do they have proved quite enduring - for me, at least. Have had four over the last 20 years, none of which got reinfected, and the first three had to be rehomed because they got too large. In at least two cases, mags survived tank crashes that took down all my SPS coral. I will say that I have never tried to add any subsequent anemones to my tank. Just one, centerpiece for me.

Mag is my favorite. Colorful, stays put and doesn't eat my fish. Good host for many clown species as well.
 
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