Aiptasia ID

[guyo]

Hello, can someone help confirm weather or not this is aiptasia?

This is a new tank setup, almost cycled, but have noticed a bunch of these in a couple of areas.

They are quite small - maybe a quarter of an inch or less long.


Thank you!

 

[mr_X]

i don't think it is. aptasia doesn't have little spines on the tentacles. is that what i am seeing?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I was thinking along the same line, Mr X. If it's indeed little spines we're seeing, I'm going to go with some species of Anthelia. (Which can be just as invasive as Aiptasia in the right tank!)

 

[Pinky77]

Check these out lol .....?

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[mr_X]

those appear to be aptasia.

 

[iDream]

counting the tentacles on some there appears to be 8 tentacles, which leads me to believe that its not aiptasia, but some sort of soft coral (octocorals)

 

[guyo]

Thank you for the replies!

I am leaning towards these being 'star polyps' based on other photos I have seen online.

They do have little spines or hairs on each of their tentacles. (they all appear to have eight tentacles, but some may have 6 (it is hard for me to tell for sure as some are so small)

I believe they or at least some of them retract at night as more appear to be out during the day when the lights are on.

If they are star polyps, can I assume that they are safe to leave be?

 

[Pinky77]

Yea leave them see how it goes check out the pic i posted and compare them .....?

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[Zer0]

Those are definitely not star polyps. Star polyps form a purple mat underneath ALL of their polyps, which is what connects them. I do not see a mat of any color under any of those polyps. I am going with Anthelia species due to the little spines and their tentacles. The third picture posted is most definitely aiptasia.

 

[guyo]

You're right, I do not see a mat underneath of the polyps. I am going to leave them and see what happens. If they are Anthelia, can I presume they will do no harm?

 

[Zer0]

Yeah they won't harm anything, but they will spread very quickly if the conditions are just right.