My new blue gig being held at the LFS

[Toddrtrex]

Those look a lot more like an S. Haddoni to me -- looks very similar to how mine was when I first received it.

 

[BonsaiNut]

Those look a lot more like an S. Haddoni to me -- looks very similar to how mine was when I first received it.

I agree Todd. The only reason why I am pretty confident that these are giganteas is that the person who posted these photos KNOWS anemones. He was shopping exporters in Java and posted lots of photos of different anemone species - including correctly identifying H. malu from H. crispa and pointing out that many exporters do not know the difference. He posted other photos of giganteas as well so I am pretty sure he knows his species. I just wish he could have shown the column in the photo He wasn't specifically looking for red giganteas; he was just pointing out two beautiful giganteas and commenting that they are very fragile. He was specifically taking pictures of verrucae on columns - but just not for those two anemones. Here are some other giganteas from the same exporter:

And a photo of a haddoni (correctly identified) in a crate with giganteas.

And a photo of a mertensii (correctly identified). So I have to believe this guy knows his anemones...

Considering these anemones were ALL from the same exporter - look how the giganteas appear (all loose and flaccid) compared to how the haddoni appears. Personally, I think it is due to lack of flow in those little crates. Giganteas HATE still water.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I could very well be wrong, but those 2 just look way too much like mine for me not to think they are S. Haddoni. The rim of the one on the right is really making me think that way.

But, it is hard to tell from one picture (( and no shot of the underside )) of a stressed anemone.

 

[BonsaiNut]

Ok, it is time for the 48 hr update including pics.
The nem looked its best tonight. It was expanded about 25% more than previously and the mouth looked a lot better.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I think it is looking good - though not settled in yet. The brown stuff coming out of its mouth is probably zooxanthellae. It may be reshuffling its zooxanthellae population to adapt to the lighting in your tank. According to a paper I read recently on corallimorphs, each anemone may have several different types of zooxanthellae present, and populations will shift based on environmental conditions. In corallimorphs this is an active process in that they can actually swap out one population for another, or eject all zooxanthellae at once. Though I don't know this is exactly what is happening with your anemone, it makes sense. Once it is settled in with a healthy adapted zooxanthellae population, if will look better - though it does not look that bad right now in my opinion.

 

[BonsaiNut]

I could very well be wrong, but those 2 just look way too much like mine for me not to think they are S. Haddoni. The rim of the one on the right is really making me think that way.

But, it is hard to tell from one picture (( and no shot of the underside )) of a stressed anemone.

Yeah I know. I have to accept it is a "qualified" photo of red giganteas. The guy identified them as giganteas when he obviously knows giganteas from haddonis, and had no ulterior motive to mislead someone as to the species. It just isn't photographic proof without showing the verrucae.

Regardless, I have seen a red gigantea in person. I just didn't have a camera. But let me guarantee you 100% I looked at the verrucae I have only seen one, ever, so they must be ultra rare in the wild.

 

[phender]

Yeah I know. I have to accept it is a "qualified" photo of red giganteas. The guy identified them as giganteas when he obviously knows giganteas from haddonis, and had no ulterior motive to mislead someone as to the species. It just isn't photographic proof without showing the verrucae.

Regardless, I have seen a red gigantea in person. I just didn't have a camera. But let me guarantee you 100% I looked at the verrucae I have only seen one, ever, so they must be ultra rare in the wild.

The red rings around the mouths of those red "gigantea" is screaming haddoni to me, but I wasn't there.
I too have seen two red giganteas in person. They were in the same shipment and the floor manager at the wholesaler said they had one in the week before as well. If memory serves, it was in the mid to late '90's. I haven't seen any since. Unfortunately both specimens had "spaghetti" coming from holes in their bases. The manager said the other one from the other shipment had the same problem and died before it was sold.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Can really see the red ring around mine while it was in the acclimation bucket.

 

[deangelr]

Never seen one... But we've all sen this pic

 

[RcToners]

I would like to see a S. Gigantea in the color red as they don't exist....... Not one real documentation as been shown with one out.... If they exist, they haven't been discovered yet......

Sorry but I would have to disagree with you on this, its been documented that red gigs do exsist. I have seen one they simply happen to be the most rare annemonie out there