Anenome question

[murray bmf]

About a year ago my Condi "let" one of it's arms go, it floated around the tank for a few weeks then disappeared. It would occasionally re-appear from time to time. It just seem to go about it's own business. Then I did not see it for the longest time until today, it was sitting on a piece of live rock, fully extended. Question-Why is this arm still floating around, how long can it live and what will it do? I know this sounds strange but it's true. Here is a pic of it. Thanks in advance!

 

[murray bmf]

The arm is sitting in between the leather and that piece of rock almost directly in the center of the photo, sorry about the picture quality.

 

[shoreliner11]

Anemones can reproduce this way which is called budding or splitting. Generally anemones will leave a part of its body as well but I guess an arm will do as well. It might take a long time but given ample light and good water quality it could very well become the size of its parent.

 

[sprang]

very interesting!

 

[acetylene]

they can also move all around your tank, so the bud probably floated around for awhile then got lodged somewhere, then attached, and is now moving under its own power