Zoo, Paly, or Aiptasia

[woz9683]

This may be a stupid question, but I got these as a frag (in a big frag pack) from reefermadness a while ago. They're pretty bland looking and there were two different types of polyps on the same rock. I stuck them in the tank and didn't really think anything about it, until the other day when I was feeding the fish and watched a piece of brine shrimp float down and land on top of one of the polyps. Well, the polyp closed up around the piece of shrimp and it immediately made me think anemone. I don't really keep zoos or palys and this one frag is the only specimen in my tank. Can zoos or palys close up like this or is this an aiptasia? Are there any obvious discerning characteristics? I've looked up pics and it looks similar to some aiptasia but not identical to anything i've found. I can take pictures and post them tomorrow, but i thought maybe I could get a quick description of differences to alleviate my concerns. Thanks for any help!

 

[JetCat USA]

Re: Zoo, Paly, or Aiptasia

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10603296#post10603296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by woz9683
.......Can zoos or palys close up like this?

yes

 

[woz9683]

well that's good news at least. Any good discerning characteristics you know of JetCat?

 

[JetCat USA]

Paly's when they retract do not retract down into the rock and disappear, they leave their stalk still visible and just curl their cap around the food to consume it. if you need i can feed one and take a pic?

 

[woz9683]

I don't think it will be necessary, but thanks for the offer. That sounds like what mine did, definitely just the cap closing around the food. Thanks JetCat!

 

[JetCat USA]

you're welcome

 

[Bud's Reef]

It still could be a manjano anenome. I think they leave their stock visble when they are closed. I have one that I've been watching and still haen't been able to discern if it is a paly or manjano.

 

[JetCat USA]

Paly's have a solid oral disc with tentacles only around their outer edge, Mejano's have multiple rows of tentacles on the oral disc.

Mejano:

Paly:

 

[Bud's Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10619702#post10619702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JetCat USA
Paly's have a solid oral disc with tentacles only around their outer edge, Mejano's have multiple rows of tentacles on the oral disc.

Thanks, I didn't realize that. So here is the one I'm not sure what it is. It doesn't look like it has multiple rows of tentacles, it doesn't look like any zoa I've seen, and I'm not familiar with palys. What do you think?

woz9683, I hope you don't mind my posting in your thread.

 

[JetCat USA]

it's a Paly, and a nice odd color one at that

 

[Bud's Reef]

Cool, thanks! I'm glad I didn't go ahead and nuke it with Joe's Juice when I was removing some aptaisia.