Another anem ID

[marie]

This was sold to me as an H. crispa but I have my doubts. It was a tan/cafe au lait colour with purple tips when I bought it over 2months ago but it is turning decidely yellow. It also has small purple verrucae in vertical rows on the underside and the column is a tan colour

[littleshark]

It does look like a H. Crispa to me. What kind of lighting is it under? When you say it was tan when first bought and turning yellow now maybe its losing its zooxanthelle.

[marie]

I don't think its losing zooxanthella, the oral disk is a lot darker now. The tentacles are short (less then an inch long) and club like (fatter at the ends then they are at the base).

It's well fed, getting mysis shrimp at least 3 times a week. It is under 175w MHs and not showing any sign of being light starved.

It could well be a crispa but the tentacles are showing no sign of wanting to be long. I was wondering if it was possibly an H. malu

[garygb]

I think it could be H. malu myself. Looks healthy in the pic and is nice looking.

[marie]

here is a closer pic of it



I have yet to see any pics of yellow H. malus. Is this a rare colour morph?

It isn't dyed because there was no hint of yellow when I bought it and I'm not in the habit of adding yellow dye to my tank water

[garygb]

H. crispa tends to have longer tentacles, especially when hosting a clown as yours is. I'm definitely leaning toward H. malu. As far as yellow color, I checked in Fautin and Allen book and it just says the "column commonly pale cream or yellow color, may have splotches of deep yellow or orange. Tentacles arise from brown or purplish (rarely bright green) oral disc."

[Purple Penguins]

it looks exactly like my H. crispa although mine stretches its tenticles out when lights are on in mid day, when the lights are off and only actinics it looks like yours does.
Also the coloration is exact to mine

[marie]

Originally posted by Purple Penguins
it looks exactly like my H. crispa although mine stretches its tenticles out when lights are on in mid day, when the lights are off and only actinics it looks like yours does.
Also the coloration is exact to mine

Those pics were taken at midday

[phender]

I would say that it is H. crispa. From what you are telling us, tentacles shrinking and getting lighter, it sounds like its not happy. The lighter color could be explained by the increase in lighting and the anemone not needing so much zooxanthellae.
Yours may be the exception to the rule, but the shortening of the tentacles usually means that the anemone is not getting enough food. Maybe it needs something more substantial than mysis.

[marie]

Originally posted by phender
I would say that it is H. crispa. From what you are telling us, tentacles shrinking and getting lighter, it sounds like its not happy. The lighter color could be explained by the increase in lighting and the anemone not needing so much zooxanthellae.
Yours may be the exception to the rule, but the shortening of the tentacles usually means that the anemone is not getting enough food. Maybe it needs something more substantial than mysis.

It's not getting lighter, it has darkened up a lot since I've got it. The tentacles have always been short and stubby but when I got it I figured it was because it was starving and wasn't hosting any fish, they (the tentacles) have just become yellow instead of tan/cream.
Also the anemone isn't/wasn't very big, about 4" across when I got it and maybe about 6" now I didn't think it needed anything bigger then mysis shrimp but I guess I'll start shopping for seafood at the grocery store.
For size reference the clown in the pic is only about 1" long and is the baby of the pair. My 8yr old, female only rarely goes in the anemone and pretty much fills the entire disk

[phender]

I'm sorry Marie. I thought that somewhere you had said that the tentacles were shinking and the first pic was an old pic. After re-reading I realize that I was mistaken.

If that is the current length of the tentacles then your anemone is doing fine. I would expect them to be more pointed at this point, but there are lots of factors that might be affecting the shape. Feeding once a week with a little meatier food in addition to the mysis might help. The current my be too strong or too weak. There might be some other animal or coral in the tank that is bothering it(that includes the clown if it is too rough). Nitrates might be too high.
As long as its eating and growing I wouldn't worry too much. I still think that it is H. crispa, but even if it were to be H. malu, it doesn't really matter as the care is the same.

[marie]

You're right the care isn't really much different . I prefered a longer tentacled anemone though so I'm hoping it is indeed an H. crispa