Quick and Dirty Carpet Anemone Identification

[aklee987]

So I was hoping for some help from you guys here. I have a friend who has access to a wholesaler for saltwater livestock. He said he'll pick up a carpet anemone for me, but isn't too familiar with the different types.

I know anemone identification is a complicated issue, but I was hoping I could come up with some simple guidelines.

Here is what I've come up with so far:

1. Haddoni - short tentacles, no spots on column. Seems to be the most commonly available in a LFS
2. Gigantea - looks like a haddoni but with slightly longer tentacles, maybe 3mm long
3. Magnifica - even longer tentacles and has spots on the underside
4. Mertensii - looks like just like a hadonni but has spots on the underside and foot

Yes, I know the spots are called verrucae, but I'm called them spots for simplicity.

And I know there are exceptions to every rule, but is this basically correct? Did I get the basics right?

 

[Ostara]

Well... sort of. The color and amount of verrucae is important, not just whether or not they are present, and tentacle length tends to be useless with recently moved/shipped/acquired carpets because they often are stressed and not in ideal health. For this reason I would never purchase a carpet without thoroughly inspecting the base and verrucae. But for a brief "field guide" sort of ID...

A magnifica isn't a carpet anemone; it's a Heteractis. It will be very easily distinguished from a Stichodactyla, though sometimes H. crispas can look a lot like magnificas.

Giganteas have blue or purple (can't recall hearing of any other colors, but I'm sure someone will chime in if they have) verrucae on the underside, more towards the top and extending partially down the foot.

Mertensii carpets (which aren't very common, but just in case) have a profusion of usually reddish/magenta verrucae that seem to cover the entire column. Some have so many verrucae that they run together in lines or form patches.

And helianthus-which aren't desirable but seem to be becoming quite common and are therefore worth looking out for- have brown or orange-ish verrucae running down the column.

But really it would probably be best and easiest to just get a piece of sturdy photo paper and print out a few examples of each with the names so that he can compare them to what's in front of him. It would be a shame if he told you he was bringing you a gigantea and presented you with a helianthus instead. :worried:

 

[bradleym]

Well... sort of. The color and amount of verrucae is important, not just whether or not they are present, and tentacle length tends to be useless with recently moved/shipped/acquired carpets because they often are stressed and not in ideal health. For this reason I would never purchase a carpet without thoroughly inspecting the base and verrucae. But for a brief "field guide" sort of ID...

A magnifica isn't a carpet anemone; it's a Heteractis. It will be very easily distinguished from a Stichodactyla, though sometimes H. crispas can look a lot like magnificas.

Giganteas have blue or purple (can't recall hearing of any other colors, but I'm sure someone will chime in if they have) verrucae on the underside, more towards the top and extending partially down the foot.

Mertensii carpets (which aren't very common, but just in case) have a profusion of usually reddish/magenta verrucae that seem to cover the entire column. Some have so many verrucae that they run together in lines or form patches.

And helianthus-which aren't desirable but seem to be becoming quite common and are therefore worth looking out for- have brown or orange-ish verrucae running down the column.

But really it would probably be best and easiest to just get a piece of sturdy photo paper and print out a few examples of each with the names so that he can compare them to what's in front of him. It would be a shame if he told you he was bringing you a gigantea and presented you with a helianthus instead. :worried:

Nicely done! Covered all the bases and hit the nail on the head every time. :beer:

 

[BonsaiNut]

S. haddoni: not visible colored verrucae
S. gigantea: prominent colored verrucae from just below the rim of the oral disk to halfway down the column. No verrucae on lower half of column or foot. Verrucae often purple or blue.
S. mertensii: prominent colored verrucae that increase in frequency as you move down the column to the anemone foot. Verrucae quite visible over entire column. Verrucae more numerous and more intensely colored than S. gigantea. Verrucae often red.
S. helianthus: dull verrucae (often brown or honey-colored) that are less prominent than S. gigantea or S. mertensii. Present beneath the rim of the oral disk, diminishing toward the middle of the column, and then present again at the foot.

 

[OrionN]

See BonsaiNut write-up here for information about Clownfish hosting anemones
http://www.scribd.com/doc/50307006/AnemoneFAQ

 

[aklee987]

Thanks guys. It looks like I was pretty off base with some of my descriptions. I'll have to make a new list for him.

 

[D-Nak]

What type of carpet anemone are you looking for? The reason I ask is because -- as you probably know -- carpets have different rates of success based on how well they ship. We'd be able to point out what to look for. For example, sick gigs tend to be pastel, appear to be balding, and have a flatter appearance -- they don't have the folds of a healthy gig but look flat, almost over inflated, like a frisbee.

 

[nogascans]

Here is a picture of an undesirable, but beautiful S. helianthus I have in my display tank. It even turns toward me and tilts when its feeding time.
Sincerely

David

 

[Ostara]

Nicely done! Covered all the bases and hit the nail on the head every time. :beer:

Why thank you, Bradley! :beer:

Nogascans, your helianthus looks pretty bleached in that picture. How long have you had it?

 

[nogascans]

It's the photo. The anemone is actually a very nice tan to light brown with green and blue tips? Had it going on 5 months. I'll try and upload a better picture. That one was taken by my cell

Sincerely,

David

 

[nogascans]

Updated Photo

Updated Photo

Here's a new photo of S. helianthus anemone, as well as sebae. Both are a good tan color, with S. helianthus having green overtones and tips, and sebae brownish with purple tips.

Sincerely,

David

 

[lokmar]

Thanks for the pics nog. Helped me identify my nem! Too bad its a
helianthus. Lost a tang to it a while back and my clowns wouldnt host in it. I have a 55 gal with a center overflow (36" long) and it finally settled at the top right corner of the overflow. It likes to be between the current running into the overflow and one of the returns that literally blast over the tentacles. Anyway, mine looks to be a clone of yours. Honey colored with greenish short tentacles with purple tips. I bought a few months ago from Aquatic connection as a $15 small White Carpet. Hope I can find a home for it because its real healthy and has colored up a bit more green since I got it.