Mystery Sebae

[ChuckLawson]

Was at LFS this afternoon and they had a "purple sebae" just arrived. It was still pulled up tight, but I liked the apparent depth of color on the tentacles I could see (it didn't look bleached or dyed), so I decided to roll the dice and give it a try:

(Excuse the lousy phone camera photo)

This is just added to the tank -- I placed it in a well lit spot at the rock/sand interface that's sheltered from flow a bit. So far it's still contracted, but busy attaching its foot to the base of the rock.

In person, the base color is a really bright magenta or plum; the tentacles are a grayish-tan with purple dots at the end, and maybe 1/2" - 3/4" long in repose. I haven't seen the oral disk yet, but looking at the uninflated size, I'm guessing this guy is going to be 6" - 8" around easily.

I'm thinking H. malu; does that seem likely? The importer apparently had them listed as "purple milk anemone", which isn't terribly helpful.

 

[elegance coral]

That's not malu. It's most likely magnifica. Slight chance its quadracolor, but I doubt it. Need better pic's when/if it opens up.

 

[Reefvette]

Wierd itlooks def dyed cause u can see white underneath the tentacles tip.

 

[ChuckLawson]

That's not malu. It's most likely magnifica. Slight chance its quadracolor, but I doubt it. Need better pic's when/if it opens up.

Pretty sure it's not quadracolor... Will post some more pics when it gets settled. I suppose if it's magnifica, it'll start heading up pretty quickly.

 

[elegance coral]

I suppose if it's magnifica, it'll start heading up pretty quickly.

If it's healthy enough to do so, you're probably right.

 

[aday2remmbr]

definitely looks like a magnifica, but i have seen some malus that look identical to ritteris at some points. but my moneys on ritteri. beautiful one too.

 

[elegance coral]

The pedal disk of malu is tiny in proportion to the rest of the anemone. The pedal disk on the anemone above is huge in proportion to the rest of the anemone. It's not much smaller than the oral disk. There is no way that's malu.

 

[ChuckLawson]

A bit better pic from a bit better camera. It'd probably finish opening up if it wasn't for a pair of saddlebacks taking turns shoving themselves in it.

The color of the tentacles is less purple in person -- they're kind of a uniform tan with purple dots on the end; the camera seems to be picking the reflected purple from the oral disk. It's about 4" from edge to edge in this picture.

 

[this is me]

Definitely not a magnifica.
Purple base crispa maybe.

 

[aday2remmbr]

A bit better pic from a bit better camera. It'd probably finish opening up if it wasn't for a pair of saddlebacks taking turns shoving themselves in it.

The color of the tentacles is less purple in person -- they're kind of a uniform tan with purple dots on the end; the camera seems to be picking the reflected purple from the oral disk. It's about 4" from edge to edge in this picture.

that pic definitely tells me its a malu, definitely not a ritteri.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I am leaning towards an H. Crispa, and don't really see an H. Malu, the pedal disc is, IMO/E, way too big to be an H. Malu.

 

[richdragon32]

could be a dyed H. crispa

 

[ChuckLawson]

Three BTAs in the tank they won't go near, but they're big fans of this one:

 

[jstuver]

Looks gorgeous whatever it is!

 

[ezhoops]

I say a malu and I have one that is similar. lets see if I have some pics. Color is a little different but similar in tentacles.

here are a few for reference and this is a malu

 

[ChuckLawson]

A little more open now, but the mouth is still retracted back into the shadows were I can't see it (even without the pest in the way)

Tentacle color is definitely a purplish/pinkish tan, just not quite as much as these pictures appear.

 

[ezhoops]

yeah, with the small spots on the tips of the tentacles I would have to guess malu. Mine has the same thing but doesn't really show in my pics.

either way its a very nice nem and looks to be doing much better. Another thing that rings malu with me is that its staying in the sand tucked under a rock, just like my malu

 

[ezhoops]

another thing to check for, my malu really extends its tentacles at night, like 5 times the same normally. Not sure if this is typical behavior for malu but might be

 

[ChuckLawson]

yeah, with the small spots on the tips of the tentacles I would have to guess malu. Mine has the same thing but doesn't really show in my pics.

either way its a very nice nem and looks to be doing much better. Another thing that rings malu with me is that its staying in the sand tucked under a rock, just like my malu

Yeah, it appears much happier now; it had literally just came out of the box from being transshipped when I got it, so it's taken it a little while to shake it off. Having seen anemones look a lot worse at that point, I was hoping it'd be a fairly healthy specimen once it got a chance to recover a bit.

It definitely seems to want to put its foot under the rock; that was apparently the first order of business for it. I'd had the circulation pumps off and was just running the wavemaker for the first few hours, but (even though it's in a fairly low-flow area), as soon as I turned them back on, it started opening up more fully.

 

[ChuckLawson]

another thing to check for, my malu really extends its tentacles at night, like 5 times the same normally. Not sure if this is typical behavior for malu but might be

I'll keep an eye out for that after the lights go out. Fortunately, if it's going to do that, this should be a pretty good spot for it. Does yours seem to be feeding when it does this? Also, what kind of flow does yours like?

Thanks!