Why is my H. Crispa's mouth protruding?

[55semireef]

Since forever, my Heteractis Crispa has it's mouth swelled up like a golf ball. It seems to be always puffy but closed. It has the shape of a golf ball. It also has trouble when it comes to feeding too. The overall health of my H. Crispa seems to be pretty good but I don't understand why my Crispa's mouth looks like this. Can anyone help me with this???

Here are some pictures. BTW, I didn't turn off the flow so when I took these pictures the flow caused some of them to look blurry. But you get the idea.

With flash:

Without Flash:

 

[Amphiprion]

Mine is often like that. I wouldn't regard it as a problem as long as everything else checks out OK.

 

[55semireef]

I am just curious to why my Crispa is doing this. Are H. Crispa's notorious for doing this like S. Haddoni is notorious for eating fish?

 

[elegance coral]

Could there be any chemical warfare going on in the tank? Maybe he is trying to expell stomach acids in self defence? I'm totally guessing here.

 

[GuOD]

I've had my crispa only a few months but I've never seen its mouth like this.

 

[Amphiprion]

No clue as to why they do it. I have never noticed it to be a detrimental or stress-related behavior. My guess would be some sort of stimulation cue in the water.

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10191166#post10191166 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elegance coral
Could there be any chemical warfare going on in the tank? Maybe he is trying to expell stomach acids in self defence? I'm totally guessing here.

My Crispa is the only anemone in my tank.

No clue as to why they do it. I have never noticed it to be a detrimental or stress-related behavior. My guess would be some sort of stimulation cue in the water.

Does your Crispa sometimes expand bigger one day and then the next its smaller? My Crispa seems to do this.

 

[marc price]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10194816#post10194816 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
My Crispa is the only anemone in my tank.


Does your Crispa sometimes expand bigger one day and then the next its smaller? My Crispa seems to do this.

soft corals too are very capable of chemical warfare .

i've not seen this with my last h. crispa , had to look at some old photos to confirm that what i remembered as a slight protuberance being the same color as the oral disc . it did the expand and contract thing but not on a daily basis . i've had my current crispa a little more than 3 months and when i can see the mouth (not often), it has always been concave (flush with the oral disc), and closed . again , it does expand and contract but not every day . more like every other week and i do feed it every other day .

i'm thinking it may be a good idea for you to add activated carbon and maybe poly bio marine poly pads to the system and see if things change .

i really don't know enough about anemones to tell you what's going on , maybe phender will chime in or you could send an e:mail to j. sprung . haven't checked recently but he may still be doing reef notes in fama - perhaps you can contact him there .

good luck and thanks for sharing .

 

[55semireef]

Thanks marc price, I am soon setting up a tank only for my Crispa so we will see how things go from there.

 

[55semireef]

Here's a video so you can get a better look...

BTW, I placed a live gold fish in my tank and my female clarkii ran out and grabbed it and fed it to my crispa...that's what that little gold thing is stuck in the tentacles.

Here's the vid

 

[Amphiprion]

Keep an eye on it. Like I said before, I don't believe it is a problem. Sometimes, my anemone's mouth can protrude substantially before a spawn (but then again, many other things happen prior to an event, as well).

 

[55semireef]

I have been noticing that it seems to be having problems eating...could that have something to do with the mouth?

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10213693#post10213693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
I have been noticing that it seems to be having problems eating...could that have something to do with the mouth?

Mine will suddenly fast up to a week or two before a spawn . Any other different behaviors?

 

[55semireef]

That's all about I notice so far. My pair of Clarkii definately enjoy the anemone.

 

[Amphiprion]

If yours is preparing, it may help to be prepared yourself, especially if yours is a female. It can be nightmarish, with larger females only compounding the situation. BTW, it almost always happens at night, within an hour or so of lights being turned off.

 

[55semireef]

Oh gosh...so I am assuming there is no way to sex the anemone unless it has released the sperm/eggs? What would I have to do...check my tank with a flash light each night after the lights have went off after an hour has passed by?

 

[TikiDan]

Here is my H.Crispa

 

[55semireef]

Very nice Crispa...interesting it has taken to the rocks. Does its mouth ever protrude like mine?

 

[TikiDan]

Not like yours, but it does protrude out a bit but more like botox filled lips

 

[55semireef]

Does it still eat perfectly fine? Has it ever spawned in your tank?

Thanks