What kind of anemone is this?

noodlemmy

noodlemmy

Member
This is one of the dozen or so anemones living on a piece of live rock I purchased about a month ago. It was from someone's tank they tore down. I was told it is of Hawiian origin. They range in size from about 1/8" in diameter to 3 larger ones. The one in the photo is the biggest. He's about 2" in diameter when he's spread out.
The body is a tan color, thick, and sticks out only about 1/2". The tentacles look clear with very small white dots. Each tentacle has a white ball on the tip. The mouth in the middle is very visible and it looks almost like a clam.
The smaller anemones have almost no protrusion from the rock. If anything there is a little peachy colored bump. The most you can really see of them is a cluster of white dots, which are the tips of the tentacles
None of them move around on the rock. They are firmly rooted.
I can't find anything about what they could be. I'm just curious to know whether or not they are beneficial and how big they will get. I like them a lot!! Anyone have any idea?
 
noodlemmy

noodlemmy

Member
Originally Posted by misfit
where is the pic

Sorry!! As soon as I posted it I realized what I did... didn't think anyone would've read it that quick
 
noodlemmy

noodlemmy

Member
Out of all the Google images of these and the sites about them I've only found one photo that looks like it. All the others have differences like no white balls on the tips, no white speckles, different tentacle arrangement, different stalks. I guess there are just a lot of kinds of aiptasia, maybe from different regions?
Why are they a pest? Mine don't seem to be making much trouble yet. What can I expect if I don't get rid of them? I don't plan on keeping other anemones or corals. Just the fish, whatever is living on my live rock and maybe some other inverts sometime. Will any of them be harmed by these, or are they just annoying because there's a lot of them?
 
pclown

pclown

Member
Do they close up when exposed to bright light. If so then I would say Jewel Anemone. I have two of them and after I turn on my MH they close up after a few min but then come back out after the lights are off
 
noodlemmy

noodlemmy

Member
Originally Posted by PClown
Do they close up when exposed to bright light. If so then I would say Jewel Anemone. I have two of them and after I turn on my MH they close up after a few min but then come back out after the lights are off
That looks a lot like them!!!! They don't seem to mind my lights too much but they do open more when its dark. The biggest one opens the most. The pictures of these look the most like mine out of any of the species mentioned so far. Mine aren't as pretty as a lot of them, though :( Are these any kind of problem?
From what I've read about the aispatia, they creep around. Mine don't move at all.
Originally Posted by oceana
maybe it just the pic but is there a skeleton thats coming out of?? looks like one.
It's on a piece of live rock... where's the skeleton?
 
oceana

oceana

Active Member
Originally Posted by noodlemmy
That looks a lot like them!!!! They don't seem to mind my lights too much but they do open more when its dark. The biggest one opens the most. The pictures of these look the most like mine out of any of the species mentioned so far. Mine aren't as pretty as a lot of them, though :( Are these any kind of problem?
From what I've read about the aispatia, they creep around. Mine don't move at all.
It's on a piece of live rock... where's the skeleton?
like i said it must just be the pic. if it had a skeleton you would know
 
pclown

pclown

Member
I dont believe that they are are a problem. I have had two for about 4 months now and my wife likes them. They are fine and give us something to look at whe the lights go out.
 
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