Wanted: Photo proof S. mertensii hosting A. percula in the wild

marc price

New member
I found two references listing S. mertensii as one of the host anemones A. percula associates with:

Scott W Michael A Pocket Guide Marine Fishes list H. crispa (yet to find photo prof), H. magnifica and S. mertensii, no mention of S gigantea (I'd say he has the two Stichodactyla anemones confused).

Scott W Michael Damselfishes & Anemonefishes list H. magnifica, H. crispa, S. mertensii and S. gigantea. Going on to say in lagoons usually with S. mertensii, outer reefs often with H. magnifica. (Again I'd think he has S. mertensii confused with S. gigantea).

The only other reference I found Animal Diversity Web U of Michigan Museum of Zoology list H. magnifica, S.gigantea and S. mertensii https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amphiprion_percula/

So whats what? Please post photo proof taken in the wild, no aquarium photos please, thank you.

Interested as I recently purchased S. mertensii and the one A. percula which went into S. gigantea within 15 minutes of introduction, and H. magnifica within an hour of introduction has yet to go near the S. mertensii in the three week's since the anemone was added to the A. percula's aquarium. (I'd post pic's but Photo Bucket became a pay trap so no pix until RC updates the websites photo upload/attachments options).
 
Fautin & Allen list Mertensi as a host anemone for Ocellaris and Percula clowns but I haven't seen any proof of that. The only instance I was able to find of Ocellaris clowns outside S. Gigantea and H. Magnifica is in the video below. It shows Ocellaris clowns in what appears to be S. Haddoni.
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The only instance I was able to find of Ocellaris clowns outside S. Gigantea and H. Magnifica is in the video below. It shows Ocellaris clowns in what appears to be S. Haddoni.
I think I'm seeing what appears to be a longitudinal line of spots running down the underside of the oral disc/column at 17sec. and 20sec. Also not seeing exocoelic tentacles of S haddoni, - almost looks like the following link 2 pix of S. mertenssi hosting A. ocellaris:

http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/cnidaria/actiniaria/mertensii.htm

"Giant friends: Besides the symbiotic algae that lives inside the their tentacles several kinds of animals have been associated with Merten's carpet anemones. These anemonefishes (Amphiprion sp.) including A. akallopisos, A. akindynos, A. allardi, A. chrysogaster, A. chrysopterus, A. clarkii, A. fuscocaudatus, A. latifasciatus, A. leucokranos, A. ocellaris, A. sandaracinos, A. tricinctus. But so far, the only animals observed on Merten's carpet anemones were the Five-spot anemone shrimps (Periclimines brevicarpalis) and the False clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)."

More pix of a mertens anemone hosting A. ocellaris:https://www.naturefootage.com/stock-video-footage/Stichodactyla-mertensii?page_start_num=1

P.S., been a little more than three weeks since the addition of the mertens anemone, and my A. percula finally decided to associate with the mertens.
 
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