zoanthid lifespan?

[jreimer]

Greetings fellow zoanthid fans,

Just something I have been curious about for a long time - what is the longest any of you have kept a single colony? It has been speculated some anemones can live hundreds of years, just wondering what your observations are on zoanthids....

Cheers,

James

 

[gflat65]

I've had one colony of the green polyped (used to call them Proto's-they are different than the RPE's, PPE's, and GPE's and I think were called Proto psammophila in some articels I've read) that started as a one polyp frag about 8 years ago. They have gone through die offs from time to time, only to recover into a large colony. I know 8 years is not much time span compared to what I'm sure some of you have had, but they are my oldest. I'll try to get a pic.

 

[jreimer]

Gflat, that would be great! There really is no data on lifespan available - even if the knowledge can't be used in a paper (i.e. tank data) it is still really useful when talking about the ecology of zoanthids - thanks heaps!

 

[surfnvb7]

jreimer-
would there be any way to "tag" a certain colony out in the wild...and then check on its progress changes from season to season, year to year? i'd be curious if they go under any kind of seasonal die offs, not to do climate changes.

this is a totally dumb question, but do any soft corals reproduce by releasing spores like sps in the wild seam to do?

 

[45commando]

I've had some of my Zoas & a BTA for almost 10 years,basically since my first tank.I'm sure that given ideal conditions, most zoas & other corals for that matter will live longer in our tanks,due to a lack of predation.I realize many corals & anemones in the wild have been found or are thought to be over a 100 years old,but who has kept a tank going for that long to compare?

 

[jreimer]

Tagging, temp, other observations

Tagging, temp, other observations

Hmmm...

Yes, we have some tagged colonies we have been watching in the wild for up to ten years, but again, nothing longer than that, and as zoanthids don't leave "rings" or anything like coral (nor fossils) it is really all just guesswork for now.

I do know that depending on location and season, we have seen a lot of variability in colony condition in Zoanthus year to year. The bleaching episodes of 1998 and 2001 were really hard on zoanthids here in Japan, but they have recovered nicely and much faster than hard coral. Also, some species seem to close up their polyps in winter and tough out cold water conditions, then flourish in the summer.

From what I know, Zoanthus seem to reproduce sexually by spawning (like hard coral) in summer months, related to tides, and asexually by fragmentation/disturbance. Haven't seen any spores, but that does not mean they do not exist.

What temp do you all keep you tanks at?

james

 

[gflat65]

Mine runs from 78-80.5, typically (chiller assisted).

 

[twon8]

79.5-81, via aquacontroller jr. for the 90
77-82 for the 180, no controller, soon to change.

 

[Fcwham]

78-80

 

[jreimer]

Cool, thanks for the temp info - I'll see if I can set up a new experimental tank at my new job that can keep the temp around this level (running seawater pumped in from the beach!!!)...

 

[whodah]

curious: are you distinguishing between a single polyp? or just a colony in general? (i.e. w/ potential polyp die off and new growth covering it w/in the colony)

 

[Fcwham]

yea I have noticed in my oldest colonys that there is die off of old polyps wich are often replaced by new ones.