What kind of Anemone is this?? (pics included)

[budsnbuds]

Hi,

I picked up this Anemone from Rod's Reef on wednesday, but he wasn't sure exactly what species it was. He was told maybe magnificia, but hes had it for over a year and its only about the size of a fist. I like the look of it and got it for my True Perc/Onyx hoping they will pair up or atleast host the Anemone. Even if they don't, I will keep the anemone cuz I think it looks sweet.

Heres some pics

I was thinkings its either a Sebea (Crispa) or a Magnificia, or possibly a Gigantea?

Thanks for the help,
Alan

 

[finding nemo]

Not sure but it is beautiful and super healthy. Congrats on a great find. Bumping for ID

 

[55semireef]

Ritteri Anemone. These anemones are one of the hardest to keep. Make sure it gets lots of flow, has great lighting and that your water is stable and pristine.

 

[phender]

Crispas sometimes have Yellow/green tips like that instead of the normal purple. If the underside of the disk is white and bumpy then it likely H. crispa. If the column and under the disk is colored (brown counts) and has faint spots/bumps then it is likely H. magnifica.

From the pics I'm thinkin' crispa.

 

[55semireef]

Looks like Heteractis Magnifica to me.

 

[Amphiprion]

Looks like an H. crispa variant as phender said. However, only a good examination of the base and underside of the oral disc will give any sort of definitive answer.

 

[Ciarán]

H. Crispa IMO. The tentacles look too broad and bulky compared to a magnifica, plus, a magnifica will NOT stay on sand in my experience. My magnifica hates sand, they prefer to be on your highest piece of LR in the current and light, whereas a Sebae (H. Crispa) are also called "sand anemones" as that is their preferred substratum. Post a pic of the exterior of the gastro-vascular cavity (its body from the oral disk to the foot) for a definitive ID. I misidentified my magnifica at first, it wasnt long until i realised my mistake. If it is indeed a magnifica, it will let you know by its penchant for light and flow as well as its taste for climbing walls if it isnt happy. Best of luck, you have a great looking specimin to start!

Ciaran.

 

[55semireef]

Yes great looking specimen.

 

[budsnbuds]

Thanks. I will try to post some more pictures tomorrow of the mouth, foot, and base for a better id. If i can't get them up tomorrow I should be able to tuesday, I will be moving down to school so should have a better shot to take a picture when I break the tank down.

It has attached to the LR but is still very close to the sand, don't know if this makes much of a difference. It hasn't moved since the first night and even then it only moved 5" from the sandbed to the rock.

Thanks for all the help,
Alan

 

[Rod Buehler]

I also had it ID as an H crispa, but had a few emails telling me that it wasnt and was probabply a mag. Since it didnt resemble or act like my mag, (stayed low, stayed small) (My mag trippled in size whaille this one stayed small) I left it ID as a crispa, but I was still uncertain.

The column, is whitish or a very pale green IIRC. I was always attached to a rock and never in the sand and that is one reason I question the ID of crispa.

 

[Flighty]

Magnificas can have tentacles that wide, but the tips look a little wrong, they usually are more blunt rather than pointed as on a crispa. The verrucae are less prominent on a magnifica and are frequently square colored patches rather than bumps. The verrucae on a crispa are sticky if I recall correctly.

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7935403#post7935403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rod Buehler
.........The column, is whitish or a very pale green IIRC. I was always attached to a rock and never in the sand and that is one reason I question the ID of crispa.

No reason to question you ID because of that. Crispas often prefer rock over sand. They do put their base into a crevice though, as opposed to magnifica that "perch" on the rock with everthing exposed.

I know somewhere it is written that H. crispa is a sand anemone, but most of the pics I have seen have them on the reef. Many of mine have prefered to be attached to a rock, usually at the rock/sand interface.