Which color RBTA...
- Thread starter puter
- Start date
Chupacabras
New member
Yep.
puter
Active member
All of the pictures, which were taken within days of each other, are of genetically identical anemones --splits from the same "mother" anemone-- that are housed in the same tank under the same lights.
Normally, the anemones look like they do in picture "C". The one that is bleached lives under the canopy of other the anemones so it doesn't get as much light. Picture "B" shows what the anemones often look like at nighttime or when they are partially contracted.
Point is, it is very difficult to tell what an anemone "really" looks like, let alone how healthy it is, from a picture. And, with regard to RBTAs, a darkened or greenish oral disk when the anemone is partially/fully contracted indicates the presence of adequate zooxanthellae... the sign of a healthy anemone.
- Mark
Normally, the anemones look like they do in picture "C". The one that is bleached lives under the canopy of other the anemones so it doesn't get as much light. Picture "B" shows what the anemones often look like at nighttime or when they are partially contracted.
Point is, it is very difficult to tell what an anemone "really" looks like, let alone how healthy it is, from a picture. And, with regard to RBTAs, a darkened or greenish oral disk when the anemone is partially/fully contracted indicates the presence of adequate zooxanthellae... the sign of a healthy anemone.
- Mark
Slakker
Premium Member
That oral disk thing may not be true with all particular color variations referred to as RBTA, right?
Also, it's true that it's tough to tell what they "really" look like, but it is possible to tell how healthy it is...for instance, A is unhealthy as it lacks zooxanthellae. B and C look perfectly fine.
Also, it's true that it's tough to tell what they "really" look like, but it is possible to tell how healthy it is...for instance, A is unhealthy as it lacks zooxanthellae. B and C look perfectly fine.
puter
Active member
Zooxanthellae are typically brown, sometimes green (as in the case of the anemones shown). So, it is pretty universal, IME, that RBTA oral discs will darken when the anemone contracts... unless there's a low concentration of zooxanthellae i.e. a bleached anemone.
Absolutely, bleached anemones are generally less healthy than ones that have lots of zooxanthellae. However, there is often a world of difference in the health of a recently imported anemone that is bleached and one that has been in captivity for an extended period of time. I'm not at all concerned about "A" though I definitely would be if it were recently imported. It's rather typical for recently split anemones to emerge from the rockwork looking bleached. In a month or two they'll have regained their zooxanthellae and will be indistinguishable from the others.
- Mark
Absolutely, bleached anemones are generally less healthy than ones that have lots of zooxanthellae. However, there is often a world of difference in the health of a recently imported anemone that is bleached and one that has been in captivity for an extended period of time. I'm not at all concerned about "A" though I definitely would be if it were recently imported. It's rather typical for recently split anemones to emerge from the rockwork looking bleached. In a month or two they'll have regained their zooxanthellae and will be indistinguishable from the others.
- Mark
phender
Active member
I hate to be a snob, but when I think of a rose anemone I think of anemones without any green at all.
When I think of a rose anemone, I think of something like this. (No its not the Flame BTA thread.
)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031611
This type doesn't lose their color when they expand and contract.
When I think of a rose anemone, I think of something like this. (No its not the Flame BTA thread.
)http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031611
This type doesn't lose their color when they expand and contract.
phender
Active member
I don't think the green in BTAs is zooxanthellae. I can't find any reference to zooxanthellae being anything other than brownish gold. Green is just another masking pigment like pink or blue.
There is more than one species of zooxanthellae, but generally anemones don't carry more than one type. I have never seen an anemone that "greens up". On the otherhand I have see plenty of anemones that retain their green pigments even when they are bleached.
The dark background of the zooxanthellae may allow you to see the green better, but I have seen a boat load of dying anemones (BTAs and others) with green oral disks.
phender
Active member
Like Slakker said, when you take photos under 10,000K - 20,000K lights your camera doesn't always know what to do with the colors. Auto Levels in photoshop doesn't help because it is set for daylight, which is 5500K.
I can't use auto levels at all on pics from my tank. It throws the colors way out of whack.
I'm not saying that the color in the original pic might not be fudged a little, however, most of the original rose anemones that came from Tonga had no green on them what so ever and were a deep rose color that went almost to the oral disk, which was a neutral tannish color when healthy. If you were lucky you would find one with coppery yellow tips. There are a couple people on this board who have clones of this type on occasion and you see them at LFS sometimes, but you will pay a hefty price.
Most of the ones you see now are the green disk ones and they are not my preference.
puter
Active member
I certainly don't mean to imply that the photo you linked to was "fudged." I have no idea. But, that just reinforces the intended points of this thread:
- Mark
FWIW, the anemones depicted above come from a clone imported before 1999...
- That potential buyers of RBTAs should be very skeptical of "sales" photographs
- That unethical collectors/importers/distributors/sellers can easily create the super-rare "hot pink with no green whatsoever" RBTA anemones by just depriving them of light for awhile... resulting in very unhealthy anemones.
- Mark
FWIW, the anemones depicted above come from a clone imported before 1999...
travisurfer
New member
I actually like the all green ones. Its different but like it has been said before, colors change.
