pizza carpet anemone

[lilyost4290]

I dont see too many of these on here but theyre pretty neat. Really sticky and colorful these guys are. They're basically really flat carpets with short tentacles. Apparently they are pretty hardy and adapt well to life in an aquarium given high lights and good solid indirect flow. They're said to be sand dwelling, which isn't surprising considering they are a carpet nem, however mine seems content with staying on his rock. From my research I also gathered that they get pretty large, about 36" diameter in the wild. They can host as well, with Clarkii's being the only natural host I could find

Here's a pic of the one I picked up over the weekend. It's about three inches across.The LFS had him for about two months they said, so I'm pretty sure it's healthy. It was attached firmly to a rock and the mouth was closed.

Feel free to post comments or questions or anything you know about these anemones. Pics are always welcome!

 

[velvetelvis]

Is that Cryptodendrum adhaesivum, or one of the Stichodactyla sp. "mini carpet" anemones? I've seen the latter called "pizza" anemones too.

ETA: never mind, read the rest of your description more carefully.

 

[garygb]

The anemone pictured here is a maxi-mini (S. tapetum). They max out at around 6 inches. This is not a C. adhaesivum pictured and it is not a host anemone species.

 

[Gill_bucket]

The anemone pictured here is a maxi-mini (S. tapetum). They max out at around 6 inches. This is not a C. adhaesivum pictured and it is not a host anemone species.

How can you tell?

 

[velvetelvis]

The anemone pictured here is a maxi-mini (S. tapetum). They max out at around 6 inches. This is not a C. adhaesivum pictured and it is not a host anemone species.

This is the reason I wish stores would use scientific names as well as trade names. They're not really that hard to learn (especially if I can learn them), and it would help to prevent a lot of confusion.

 

[rssjsb]

How can you tell?

The c. adhaesivum has an edge on it that looks like pizza crust, hence the common name "pizza" anemone. It's quite distinctive. As Gary said, you've got a "maxi mini" s. tapetum.

That's not a bad thing - they're very pretty, fairly hardy, stay small, and generally don't wander. Much better for most tanks.

 

[Conrad25]

Yeah thats def. a maxi mini. Won't get big at all and actually they like to be on rock most of the time

 

[lilyost4290]

well I guess I was misled by the LFS. Fortunately for me I didnt buy it to host anything, and was looking into the maxi-minis anyway. As for the minis, what sort of care do they need? anything special other than high light and decent flow?

 

[garygb]

I have found mine to be easy to care for. From what I've read, they do fine with any type of reef-lighting and are less light demanding than some species of commonly kept anemone. There is a risk they will eat fish, but I expect it would be a very small or a sick fish that would fall prey to this species.

 

[BonsaiNut]

C. adhaesivum has two distinctly different types of tentacles - one type on the outer margin that look similar to S. haddoni, and a field of feathery branched tentacles in the interior. They look very different from other anemone species.

 

[scolley]

That mini-maxi will host sexy shrimp, if you are so inclined. The shrimp love 'em,