Purple Tipped Sebae Changing Colors

[Lonnie]

My purple tipped sebae is changing colors.

It was all white with a slight yellow/green cast & bright purple tips. It is now getting small speckles that are reddish brown on the center & tenticles. It is still eating well & 9" dia.

It did not appear to be bleached when I bought it & remained the same for the last 6 months. Over the last week, it started to change appearance.

I have 5 other Anemones that have not changed in color.
They get fed part of a silverside every other day. Over the last year, my RBTA has grown from 4" to 8", then split & now both have grown to 8".

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Lonnie

 

[phender]

If it was all white, then it was bleached. The reddish brown spots are the regrowth of the zooxanthellie that it lost before you bought it. It is a good thing for the anemone, although it makes it a little less striking in your tank.

 

[55semireef]

Does your color change look anything like this. This is mine.

If your Sebae is doing what mine did, than your zooxanthellae is proliferating within the tissue of your anemone. Thats a good thing btw.


The last picture was taken about 2 weeks ago. My sebae is even darker now.

 

[Lonnie]

55semireef,
Your first picture is how it was bought. It is now 1/2 way to your second picture. This upsets me as I was told by the LFS that this was its natural color. The pale greenish iridesent color led me to believe it was not bleached out. At least my clown likes it.

Would this be a reason that it did not seem to like light as much as the others? All of my other anemones stayed high in the tank, & this one moved to the bottom. When I got any new ones, I put them on their own small rock near the top of the tank, this way I could easily move the rock if I choose. All the others just sunk into a crevice & never moved more than a few inches. This one climbed down all the way to the sand & stayed there.

Thanks for the help.
Lonnie

 

[TikiDan]

I bought this Anemone 2 years ago at about 2 inches across, Now it at least on foot across and it appears to be still growing! How big will this get? The guy at the LFS told me it was a Sebae, but it doesnt look quite like the ones pictured here.

 

[phender]

Yes, it looks like a sebae (H. crispa). They can get 18"-20" across.

 

[norcal99]

Ahh your clown has a scratched eye! What happened?

 

[raoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8619621#post8619621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lonnie
55semireef,
Your first picture is how it was bought. It is now 1/2 way to your second picture. This upsets me as I was told by the LFS that this was its natural color. The pale greenish iridesent color led me to believe it was not bleached out. At least my clown likes it.

Would this be a reason that it did not seem to like light as much as the others? All of my other anemones stayed high in the tank, & this one moved to the bottom. When I got any new ones, I put them on their own small rock near the top of the tank, this way I could easily move the rock if I choose. All the others just sunk into a crevice & never moved more than a few inches. This one climbed down all the way to the sand & stayed there.

Thanks for the help.
Lonnie

Unfortunately, LFS employees don't always know what they should, and even more unfortunate, sometimes they just lie. Either way, it's best to do some research before purchasing so that YOU have a good idea of what something is supposed to look like, or how it's supposed to act. This is a helpful reminder to all of us.

Typically, this anemone is a sand dweller, that's where they tend to be most comfortable, and it seems to be very happy right where it is. Keep doing what you're doing, it seems to be working. I would also suggest reading up a bit more on their care and requirements, since it appears that the LFS isn't the best source of info on this.

Good luck!

 

[TikiDan]

My clown got into a fight with a bristle worm here is a better shot. He is all better now. no permanent harm done.

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8621431#post8621431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TikiDan
My clown got into a fight with a bristle worm here is a better shot. He is all better now. no permanent harm done.

Was your clown defending the anemone? That looks pretty bad.


TikiDan, as Phender said, that is a Sebae (Heteractis Malu). Yours looks very healthy.


And yes...never take the word of an LFS employee unless your truly know they know what they are talking about.

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8623145#post8623145 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
.....TikiDan, as Phender said, that is a Sebae (Heteractis Malu). Yours looks very healthy.

Judging from the size, tentacle length and placement more likely H. crispa.
Your's is likely H. crispa as well.

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8623172#post8623172 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
Judging from the size, tentacle length and placement more likely H. crispa.
Your's is likely H. crispa as well.

Oh I missed that. Wait...mine looks like a H. Crispa too? I can got take an updated shot of it if you want me too and of the underside of the veracuae(sp.).

 

[55semireef]

Well here are some pictures anyways. Phender or anyone else tell me what species of Heteractis you think it is?

Thanks

 

[Amphiprion]

TikiDan's is most definitely H. crispa. 55semireef, yours is simply a slightly different morph of H. crispa, very similar to the one we have at the store I work at.

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8624066#post8624066 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphiprion
TikiDan's is most definitely H. crispa. 55semireef, yours is simply a slightly different morph of H. crispa, very similar to the one we have at the store I work at.

So H. Crispa is sand dwelling?

So I have a H. Crispa, just a different color morph like with BTAs?

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8624510#post8624510 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
So H. Crispa is sand dwelling?

So I have a H. Crispa, just a different color morph like with BTAs?

Yes they typically are sand dwelling (though they will happily attach into rock depressions) and yes. They occur in different color morphs and tentacle morphs. Both are subject to change in varying conditions, though (especially the tentacle size and diameter, which seem to be quite variable).

 

[55semireef]

It looked like when I first got my anemone a bleached sebae (Heteractis Malu).

 

[55semireef]

So why would my Crispa's tentacles extend after it recovered from a bleached state to now?

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8629018#post8629018 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
So why would my Crispa's tentacles extend after it recovered from a bleached state to now?

The two aren't necessarily related. The zooxanthellie population in your anemone has recovered, so its no longer bleached. The length of the tentacles will vary depending on the anemone's health (not the zooxanthellie's health), how much its fed, the amount of current, the amount of light available and probably several other things that we don't know about.

 

[Amphiprion]

^^^Yes.