Anenome, Ricordia?

[Dyami]

I got few new peices of Live Rock and I have been looking all over for a picture of this online to identify it and have had no luck. Probably because this one is so small no one has pictures of them. I did already look at the common hitchikers page as well, and it was not there. So I am putting it out here for help. There are almost a dozen of these on this rock, and I trying to decide how many to maintain (hand feed) I fed several of them yesterday, which by the way, was incredible to watch. Seeing them hold onto a peice of shrimp and then close up around it was cool to watch.

What does everyone think it is?

 

[Fluff]

I have a ton of these as well and they are awesome. They are called orange ball mushrooms. Very neat critter.

 

[Dyami]

You are good

Dang you are good! I looked everywhere for that, but of course I was checking out anenomes and ricordias. So a mushroom you say huh? Well, I am going to have to do some homework then. I checked out a few sites already and they do look amazing, and come in a small variety of colors. Mine are still pretty clear, with little to no color, but I am sure that will change. There are probably a dozen of these on my one rock.

From what I read, it says they have some pretty vicious stings. I doubt that will be a problem for now with what I have in the tank. I am kinda looking forward to seeing them grow bigger.

 

[Fluff]

They've never been a problem for me, as for stinging. Mine are all an opaque pink/peachy color.

 

[roka64]

Do you have an urchin in your tank Dyami?

 

[Dyami]

Wrong ID

I am writing back because I think we IDed this wrong. It was thought to be the orange ball mushroom. But I think it is actiually a Corynactis viridis (Jewel Anenome). I have been feeding it shrimp and other little food from my frozen mix and it has developed a little more purple color and it has a little more definition. The Orange ball mushroom has much longer tentacles than the Jewel. This has much shorter tentacles, and a very different color. There are several of these on the rock and I am going to continue to feed them. I have been taking pictures as I go and will post some up here later.

 

[Dyami]

Oh and no urchins. Sorry almost forgot.

 

[Fluff]

Neat. I'm interested in see updates as you can.

 

[Dyami]

Here it is after I fed it a few times, you can see the colors coming out now. I will be taking pictures of this as it grows. If it is the Jewel Anenome, it is going to be a wonderful addition to the tank. Probably the best looking thing in there so far. There are quite a few more on the rock and I am going to feed them all, as these do well in colonies and can produce amazing colors.

For size reference this is still smaller than a dime.

 

[Dyami]

I don't mean to say everyone was wrong that helped id this, but I don't think it was developed well enough to identify yet. It kept bugging me as I kept staring at it thinking it just didn't quite look the same. So with some research at the bookstore, (oops, you are supposed to buy those things there aren't you) I found it and then came home to look up some more. From the places I looked online of the many color varyations on it. I am pretty positive that is what it is.

 

[Fluff]

Sounds good to me. Being wrong for me is just another learning curve. It looks great though and I look forward to hearing more and seeing more as they grow.

 

[Innovator]

More than likely this is Pseudocorynactis since Corynactis usually come from colder waters around 66F or below. Although they are called orange-ball anemone's as Fluff stated, their tentacle tips can also be white. May I ask what type of liverock you have, what the anemone's base coloration is, and if you have noticed any behavioral signs? In other words, does it remain open day and night or does it close during the day?

 

[Dyami]

What you are looking at is a during the day shot. It does open up a little bit more at night, but not much. It spreads the most when it hasn't been fed. The base is a redish purple.

 

[Innovator]

I may be wrong, but being that Corynactis are not known from tropical waters I doubt it. Corynactis' are characteristically sensitive to light, meaning they close up during the day regardless of food availability and reopen at night. The base coloration sounds more Pseudo. to me; although, they can have similarities depending on region. Normally Cory's are found in congregations whereas Pseudo's are more spread between themselves.

 

[Dyami]

Wow

I wish you I could get a picture of this right now. I just got done hand feeding this thing, I am more and more positive it is the jewel anemone everytime. After feeding this evening it has almost doubled in size. just in ther period of maybe an hour. It is pretty cool, everytime I hand feed it and give a peice of shrimp it gets much bigger. I have started feeding more of them and I would like to get them big enough and I may end up fragging this peice out for the LFS. They do a farmers market of sorts with frags there.

So, I will make sure to bring my camera home from work and get some pictures before and after feeding again.

 

[Fluff]

Looking forward to the updated pics. I've never fed mine directly, I may have to start.

 

[Ziggy953]

Well what ever it is, it is an interesting little guy! Great pic of it btw!

 

[CaptainAhab]

Perhaps the Indo-Pacific species Innovator?

The Caribbean species, Pseudocorynactis caribbaeorum mainly opens its tentacles at night, and closes rapidly when it senses light. The Indo-Pacific species remains open both day and night, and is not sensitive to light. The presence of food smells (dissolved amino acids) in the water stimulates either species to open up and extend the tentacles, and the caribbean species can be trained to open in the light by feeding it during daylight hours. The mechanism for its apparent memory is not known.

 

[Innovator]

Yes, of Pseudo. Most Corynactis including viridis (Jewel anemone) are cool water inhabitants at 66F or below and all species of Cornynactis tend to be sensitive to light. So, pretty much that paragraph reiterates my past posts Regardless of Genus, they are beautiful, but do have very strong nematocysts. I often fed mine cyclop-eeze or spot-fed mysis or other meaty item weekly.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Apparently the Caribbean Pseudo is sensitive to light as well as the Corynactis. It's the Indo-Pacific species that is not