Unidentified Hitchhiker Anemone – 03/29/07
Hello and thanks in advance for your help.
<<Greetings...and let’s hope you find it of some benefit>>
I love your site and read from it almost daily for the past two years.  Your advice has always been very helpful and informative.
<<Is good to know>>
I have just today noticed a small colony of uninvited guests in one of my aquariums.
<<Uh-oh>>
There are about three anemones that were hiding unseen on my LR until I rearranged while doing some tank maintenance.
<<I think I know where this is heading...>>
The rock is, I believe, from Fiji, is about 2 yrs old in my possession, and is in my 125 gallon shark tank.
<<Mmm...not what you wrote in about and am sure not what you want to hear but...a 125 is “too small” to be a shark tank>>
There is only low lighting in the tank since the shark prefers it dim.  My nitrates are a little high, although otherwise the water quality is good.  I have not intentionally fed this hitchhiker, although I realize he has apparently survived from eating shark scraps, potentially making up for any lack of appropriate lighting.
<<If it is what I think it is, it doesn’t “need” any lighting at all>>
But the conditions are not such that I would intentionally add a desirable anemone, so I am thinking that this colony is probably going to be a nuisance.
<<Agreed>>
When I saw the first anemone, I had just moved the rock he was on.  Where he was located was very near the sand bed, if not actually touching it (certainly not seeking out the little light available from his position).
<<As stated...doesn’t need light>>
The entire foot and oral disc are embedded in a small hole in the rock and are not visible.  The tentacles are VERY thin (about the diameter of a thick human hair).  They were extended about 1-2 inches out of his hole and were barely visible due to their thin size.  
Upon inspection through the glass with a magnifying scope (the light-up type doctors use to check eyes), I could see that the tentacles were white with red-brown bands that looked like tiny red beads to the naked eye.  The tentacles were smooth and relatively straight (not like a curlicue and not actually beaded, though they appeared beaded to the naked eye).  They did not quickly retreat when disturbed (I have heard and seen that Aiptasia do retract quickly upon disturbance, even lightly moving their home).
<<Is not always so...and often a “learned” response from predation/aquarists sticking them with needles...in my experience>>
In fact, the first sighting was immediately after a rather vigorous shaking to rid the rock of detritus.  The anemone stayed out for well over 30 minutes after several attempts to disturb it, trying to get a reaction.  It came out under lighting, did not retract or react in any noticeable way to the lights being turned off, or back on, or to visual inspection in darkness or with flashlight.
<<Yes, if  these are Aiptasia, they can contain symbiotic photosynthetic algae, but they don’t “need” the symbionts to survive.  I have seen (have on hand right now even) many cases where this pest anemone survives in a total lack of light, turning white to clear, and surviving/growing/reproducing on what it can grab from the water.  In fact, this animal is also a supreme absorption feeder and will even survive very well in the absence of particulate matter upon which to feed>>
My first thought was to take it out of the tank, since I have no desire to have an anemone hanging around my shark's cave-home.  I only waited to remove him because my shark has never had any noted irritation, no injuries, no sores, no scratching, no sickness and no anything-else except good health, so he has apparently not been bothered by this potential pest as of yet.
<<Hmmm...these anemones do have a very powerful sting...could become problematic maybe if allowed to proliferate throughout the tank>>
After a lengthy inspection, my focus loosened a bit and I noticed at least two others in close proximity to the originally discovered anemone.
<<Can become “dozens” in no time if conditions are optimum>>
One of these was identical in description; the other was nearly identical, with the only noted difference being the base color on his tentacles was a slightly lighter red-brown than the "beads" instead of the milky white color of the other two.  
<<Perhaps a “different species” of Aiptasia>>
I have already searched and researched two different invert books, plus your site here.  I have found no similar pictures or descriptions.  I have already been familiar with Aiptasia and this looks nothing like any of those I have seen before.  These tentacles are longer and thinner with no apparent taper towards the tips.  I have searched your site for beadlets, Majano, and Aiptasia, plus others.  I have looked at all 13 pages of anemone IDs, plus cnidaria IDs and everything else I could find, so I hope I didn't miss my answer somewhere else.
<<Hmm...maybe you have a species of Aiptasia for which we have no photograph>>  
I tried to get a picture but the tentacles were too thin for the resolution of my camera, so it was a totally useless picture.  Sorry about the lengthy message, but without a proper pic, I was hoping that I would give enough info to make a good ID.
<<No worries about the length of the query...and too bad about the pic...”thousand words,” as they say.  If not Aiptasia, maybe this is a species of hydroid>>
Thanks again in advance for your help,
Rob Watson
<<Sorry it isn’t better.  Eric Russell>>

Re: Unidentified Hitchhiker Anemone – 03/30/07
Thanks for the response, Eric.
<<Quite welcome Rob>>
You have helped to confirm what I had feared.  I agree about the tank being too small for a shark tank and have a shark "pond" in the planning.
<<Ah!...excellent>>
For now, though, I think he has enough room until I get the pond built for him.
<<Ok>>
I have a QT tank in which I currently have some peppermint shrimp and a copperband butterfly.  I will move my shark cave into the tank with them (no meds in the QT) and build a new shark cave out of some live rock from my other tank.  Using the QT will keep them from spreading while we see if the shrimp and copperband do their duties!  =)
<<A good strategy>>
Thanks again for the help and keep up the great work.
<<Welcome...and am trying>>
Sincerely,
Rob Watson
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>

A Curious Find, Tube Anemone  - 03/12/07
Greetings!
<Salutations!  Mich with you today.>   
  I recently purchased a small piece of live rock that had a tube anemone skeleton on it.  After I put the rock in my tank and examined it, I saw a small fan that was electric blue when I looked at it from the bottom up and from the top down it was electric green.  As I continued to watch, some of its tentacles changed to red and purple and yellow.  It was so cool because it looked as if it was producing its own light and could glow in the dark.
<Neat!>   
  My guess is that it's a small tube anemone, but I'd like to know its name and how to care for it.  
<Could be an Arachnanthus, Cerianthus or Pachycerianthus spp.  More info here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tubeanem.htm  >
Will it grow large enough for me to not have to search for it whenever I want to see its "lights"?
<Possibly, but do be careful if it does.  They can pack a powerful sting and are quite capable of killing other livestock.  Hope that helps,  Mich>

Abalone, Haliotis, BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor Compatibility – 3/7/07
Hi,
<Hi Brian, Brenda here tonight>
Love the website & thanks for the help!!
<Thank you Brian and you’re welcome!>
I received an abalone today from liveaquaria.com.  After acclimating and placing it in my tank, I noticed two small anemones on the abalone’s shell.
<No doubt a pest anemone of some sort.>
I also have in the tank a rose colored bulb tip anemone.  Will there be any compatibility problems?
<You will not have any compatibility problems with the BTA and Abalone.  However, do get rid of the pest anemones that arrived with your order before they take over your tank.  More information here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm>
Thanks,
Brian
<You’re welcome!   Brenda>

Hermit Crab Question, Polyp ID... sans photo   1/31/07
<Hello Rhonda-Leigh, Mich with you today.>
We recently acquired a LARGE hermit crab that has apparently placed himself in a shell that was inhabited (externally) by some type of (well, that is sort of my question). On the outside of this spiraling shell is 3 polyp looking things approx. 1"-1.5" in diameter. They are pinkish/red and are living organisms of some kind.
<OK.>
When not bothered they fan out of these polyp looking outer parts and look like BIG coral polyps.  But when bothered or touched by the crabs claws, they retract and sort of resemble well colored barnacles. (that is what my boyfriend thought they were until I researched and didn't see anything like that in a barnacle species) Any help that you may provide would be helpful. If it would be better, I can take a picture of them and send it to you via email. Let me know.
<Yes, you know the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words... "polyp looking thing" isn't terribly helpful here... unless it's merely a polyp, you might want to do an image search for Palythoa grandis and see if that could be your critter.>
Thank you in advance,
<You're welcome!  -Mich>
Rhonda-Leigh