Bubble tip turned into long tentcle

[justinl]

I've had 2 bubble tips for about a year now and I noticed that shortly after I got them their tentacles enlongated and are no longer little "bubbles". They look like long tentacle anemones now. Does anyone know why this is? They seem to be in good health and have grown well.

 

[brian'sreef]

i'm not sure why they do that.. i also have a bubble anemone.. mine sometimes displays prominent bubbles but for the most part his tentacles are always straight.. as they are with many of the bubbles that are at the store that i work.. we have a rose bubble that's about 14" in diameter that you'd swear was a long tentacle.. but it's not.. i guess it's just how they feel. don't know if anyone else has the answer i'd like to know as well..
Brian

 

[y2says]

Those are their sweeping tenticles. They use it to catch their foods. Try placing some frozen foods on it and it'll retract. Just make sure they don't touch other corals as they can sting them or be stung.

 

[shootonsite]

Bubble-tips can turn that characteristic on and off. Y2SAYS is right on the money about the sweeping effect. The bulbs are more prominent when a clownfish is present, but this has no indication of the anemones health. Bubble-tips only share this characteristic with Condys which are a close relative.

 

[justinl]

Both my bubbles have clownfish that live with them an their tentacles are still long all the time, even when they grab food. Since their tentacles are long all the time (and their was mention that was their feeding tentacles), does that mean that they are hungry all the time or that they are malnourished? As much as they've grown I would think it was the opposite.

 

[shootonsite]

I would not worry too much about the missing bulbs. If you find it less attractive, than it would just be a cosmetic flaw. Bubble-tips may or may not show this characteristic, but if you really want to identify it, bubble-tips lack veruccae (warts) and always have a smooth column. If it does, than it might be a long-tentacle anemone.