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View Full Version : which sp. of stichodactyla is this?


ichthyophile
01/20/2006, 12:46 PM
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5268/dscf0873small9ma.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

this guy has been in my tank for a little over 24 hours. it has ejected zooxanthellae (brown, stringy discharge) from the stress of movement, but its posture seems okay, despite the bleaching. i'm keeping a close eye on him, and hoping it'll take to my tank.

what i really would like to know is which species of stichodactyla it is, gigantea, haddoni, or martensii. i could not find any information on identification or differentiation within the genus. it was purchased from foster&smith as simply carpet anemone, "stichodactyla sp."
the fact that it is attatched to rock means nothing, that's just where i placed it. it's moved a few inches in each direction, to feel out it's location, i assume. i keep wondering if it's going to head into the sand, but it hasn't yet.
any help would be appreciated.

bigworm616
01/20/2006, 12:48 PM
its haddoni, you can tell from teh rows of tenticles and the round blunt ends.

criccio
01/20/2006, 01:02 PM
Can you take a pic of it's underside?

ichthyophile
01/20/2006, 02:09 PM
the "trunk" is white with faint white striations, the foot is a little darker, about the color of the mouth. right now it looks pretty upset, and is moving around. i made a weak attempt to move it, but decided not to force it. if it is a haddonii, it needs to be in the sand. this morning, it found itself between two pieces of live rock, and had shrunk and slightly inverted its mouth. its mouth is tightly closed now (good!) but i won't be happy until it is placed where it will be healthy. at the rate it is moving, it will take another day or two to get into the substrate, but it seems to be headed that direction. i know in it's bleached state that it is dependent on meaty food. yesterday, it took a cube of sf bay brand mysis shrimp, then spit it back out partially digested (and covered in 'zymes) after 45 minutes or so.
my water quality is excellent, stable, and has alot of movement. everything else in my tank is healthy. if it is a haddonii, then it should be good under 5 watts per gallon of pc light. i will add another 2x65 asap.

criccio
01/20/2006, 02:21 PM
The bleached state is due to inadequate light, not lack of food.

I'm leaning towards a haddoni as well, but I have seen near death, bleached green giganteas that looked just like your pic. Does it happen to have any colored dots on the underside?

ichthyophile
01/20/2006, 02:41 PM
no dots on the underside. it's only been in my tank since late wed afternoon, not even 2 full days yet. it was bleached when i received it, hopefully it will recover.