None taken. I was at a remote location and internet connection was rather poor. May be long after the fact, but EC is correct about R=are...
Some advanced S. gigantea questions
- Thread starter Randy Holmes-Farley
- Start date
None taken. I was at a remote location and internet connection was rather poor. May be long after the fact, but EC is correct about R=are...
I have/ had baby haddoni and gigantea. There are 2 baby giganteas currently in my tank. The smallest one is about 1.5" and it is almost a year old. None of the babies that were born in my tank survived. The babies that survived were much larger(over an inch) and they were collected from wild. I think my tank lacks the needed condition for settlement and through meta phase.
I read some where(advance organic chem) about chromophore(dependent) needs auxochrome to create the chromogens. The color intensity is the result of of the creation of chromogens. I'll see if I could find the textbook link.
I read some where(advance organic chem) about chromophore(dependent) needs auxochrome to create the chromogens. The color intensity is the result of of the creation of chromogens. I'll see if I could find the textbook link.
BonsaiNut
Premium Member
Hi Randy, sorry it's been so long - I had a hard time finding the paper I was looking for. Very little that I have ever been able to find on S. gigantea, but there is some related work on other species. Here are three to get you started - there is a lot to look into further in the reference sections of these papers, through the themes around climate change and coral bleaching.
Photobiology of A. elegantissima
Color morphs C. gigantea
Photoacclimation mechanisms corallimorphs
For what it's worth, my list of confirmed color morphs for S. gigantea include:
Brown
Yellow/Green (there may be more than one shade)
Dark (navy) Blue
Light (sky) Blue
Pink
Purple
Additionally, there may be a dark red morph, but the evidence is not conclusive
I have also seen a secondary color pigmentation of fluorescent green on the oral disk - particularly around the mouth - of individuals kept in extremely bright light and shallow water. This fluorescent color does not appear dependent on the primary pigmentation.
The only information I have about color genetics comes from Larry Sharron, who I believe is the only person who ever bred these. He used only colored brood spawn (mix of colors of males as well as females), but half of the resulting offspring were "brown". Interestingly, after passing on two green juveniles and two brown juveniles to Charles Delbeek at Waikiki Aquarium, one of the brown juveniles turned blue. This raises as many questions as it may answer
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BonsaiNut
Premium Member
By the way, elegance, I love these photos
I wonder what triggered this behavior? It is my understanding (from very limited information) that S. haddoni is a synchronous spawner and brooder. The males spawn first, and presence of sperm in the water triggers other males, and females ingest the sperm and fertilize eggs internally. The juveniles released later are supposed to be relatively large (at least compared to gigantea young). Perhaps haddonis have the ability to broadcast spawn if a certain period of time passes without sperm being detected in the water? Brooding and broadcast spawning are not mutually exclusive in other anemone species, so it would not be without precedent...
I don't want to distract this thread, but here's a quick answer:
Randy can you post some parameters on your tank also flow and lighting.
It surprises a lot of folks, but I rarely measure anything aside from salinity (by conductivity, about 35 ppt), pH, and temperature (presently about 79 deg F). I generally know that my husbandry techniques keep other things in line. The tank is a 120 gallon with extensive rock filled refugia. Lighting is 2 x 250 w DE 10,000 k XM metal halides on a PFO ballast, a 110 w actinic VHO, and some smaller fluorescents and a couple of LED's. Flow is primarily 3 Tunze 6055 Streams bounced off a wall or rock before hitting the giganteas.
Here's an old thread on the setup:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=698596
Randy can you post some parameters on your tank also flow and lighting.
It surprises a lot of folks, but I rarely measure anything aside from salinity (by conductivity, about 35 ppt), pH, and temperature (presently about 79 deg F). I generally know that my husbandry techniques keep other things in line. The tank is a 120 gallon with extensive rock filled refugia. Lighting is 2 x 250 w DE 10,000 k XM metal halides on a PFO ballast, a 110 w actinic VHO, and some smaller fluorescents and a couple of LED's. Flow is primarily 3 Tunze 6055 Streams bounced off a wall or rock before hitting the giganteas.
Here's an old thread on the setup:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=698596
Thanks for the info, Bonsai! I'll check out the articles.
The fact that color can change from brown to other colors for some types makes understanding the genetics of the colors particularly problematic.
I'm also interested in how the tentacles will change over time. My established yellow/green has long tentacles (most are 1 to 2 inches, with yellow/green coloration on the last 1/3 to 1/4 of the tentacle), while my new blue has much shorter and thinner tentacles, but not the fat stubs that new ones often have (and that my yellow/green had a couple of years ago when first brought into captivity). The tentacles on the blue have about the same aspect ratio as the tentacles on the yellow/green, but are just shorter (about 0.5") and thinner at the present time (and also with coloration on the outer 1/4 of each tentacle). I'm expecting they may grow longer, but that remains to be seen.
The fact that color can change from brown to other colors for some types makes understanding the genetics of the colors particularly problematic.
I'm also interested in how the tentacles will change over time. My established yellow/green has long tentacles (most are 1 to 2 inches, with yellow/green coloration on the last 1/3 to 1/4 of the tentacle), while my new blue has much shorter and thinner tentacles, but not the fat stubs that new ones often have (and that my yellow/green had a couple of years ago when first brought into captivity). The tentacles on the blue have about the same aspect ratio as the tentacles on the yellow/green, but are just shorter (about 0.5") and thinner at the present time (and also with coloration on the outer 1/4 of each tentacle). I'm expecting they may grow longer, but that remains to be seen.
Tentacles are good way to gauge the health and seniority of a gigantea in general. The longer I have the anemone in my tank(captive), the thicker and longer the tentacles. I understand that density, sizes and length may be dependent of individuals, but flow and lighting seem to be a big part in tentacle length and colors.
Here are 3 pics, all from the same "guy":
In sump:
In display:
When it was in sump for 1.5 year (and in prior owner's holding tank a few months? not sure), it was yellow, but now different all together.
Here are 3 pics, all from the same "guy":
In sump:
In display:
When it was in sump for 1.5 year (and in prior owner's holding tank a few months? not sure), it was yellow, but now different all together.
BonsaiNut
Premium Member
If you look at the paper I posted above on photo-acclimation of corallimorphs, there are some great pictures showing physical responses to elevated levels of UV. Mushrooms that were smooth under low levels of UV became "hairy" or "fuzzy" under elevated levels.
I think that with S. gigantea, tentacle length may be related to light intensity; the brighter the lighting, the longer the tentacles. However the two may simply be correlated without indicating causality - i.e. tentacle length may also be driven by general health and well-being, of which light intensity is a key driver.
I think that with S. gigantea, tentacle length may be related to light intensity; the brighter the lighting, the longer the tentacles. However the two may simply be correlated without indicating causality - i.e. tentacle length may also be driven by general health and well-being, of which light intensity is a key driver.
The links working? They don't work for me.
You mean the article links? They work for me.
Tentacles are good way to gauge the health and seniority of a gigantea in general. The longer I have the anemone in my tank(captive), the thicker and longer the tentacles.
I wonder if we can get someone to comment on what they look like in the ocean? And does it vary with depth, etc. I've seen many photos, but it can be hard to judge size of tentacles in them.
You mean the article links? They work for me.
Tentacles are good way to gauge the health and seniority of a gigantea in general. The longer I have the anemone in my tank(captive), the thicker and longer the tentacles.
I wonder if we can get someone to comment on what they look like in the ocean? And does it vary with depth, etc. I've seen many photos, but it can be hard to judge size of tentacles in them.
elegance coral
They call me EC
By the way, elegance, I love these photos
Thank you.
I don't know what triggered this spawn. I don't believe it was stress related though. She started spawning right after the MH's went off, and before the T5' went off. Basically at dusk. There were no water changes, or any other change to the system prior to the spawn. I had been feeding her roughly every day for about six months before the spawn though.
Conrad25
New member
My Gig is under 2x250W halides and has a K3 not to far from it that points right towards him. I haven't seen too many gigs with extremly long tenticles and thicker like mine. I have seen 2 Gigs in a local reefer's tank and he has never had them spawn or do anything though. He has had them for 4-5 Years though as he bought them at the same time
Heres what mine looks like. I also feed mine daily
Heres what mine looks like. I also feed mine daily
jonnybravo22
New member
Nice picture. Now please track that little tentacle over time for us so we can see how fast one grows! :lol:
Did you see what was left behind? Did it maybe look like the above photo?
BonsaiNut
Premium Member
Randy - quick answer to question #3 based on a new reference book I just obtained.
All anemones are bilaterally symmetrical. As they grow, all four quadrants of the anemone grow at the same time. Tentacles are arranged radially based on the underlying internal structure of the anemone. Therefore as an anemone grows, tentacles are added across the entire oral disk. Think of it like a pie that is constantly adding more slices
All anemones are bilaterally symmetrical. As they grow, all four quadrants of the anemone grow at the same time. Tentacles are arranged radially based on the underlying internal structure of the anemone. Therefore as an anemone grows, tentacles are added across the entire oral disk. Think of it like a pie that is constantly adding more slices
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