Use caution when introducing anemones into a reef aquarium however as some species are quite mobile and may sting and damage live corals.
Carpet annome coral.
Some specimens can reach a diameter of 39 inches.
Most of the many kinds of anemones living on coral reefs stay hidden in crevices or under rocks.
Carpet anemone stoichactis gigas the carpet anemone is one of the largest of the anemone species.
The anemone uh nem uh nee are stinging polyps that spend most of their time attached to rocks or on coral reefs waiting for fish to pass close enough to get caught in their venomous tentacles which fire a harpoon like filament into their victim with a paralyzing neurotoxin.
However carpet anemones are very challenging to maintain in the home aquarium and few hobbyists are able to attain long term success.
The blue morph of stichodactyla gigantea in the wild.
Unlike most corals in the reef aquarium hobby anemones are capable of moving around the tank.
Unfortunately i ve come across a surprising number of hobbyists and ignorant or unscrupulous store employees that don t seem to know this.
Doing so will allow the anemone time to settle in and bury its foot completely into the sand bed.
With their bases anchored to rocks or rubble these anemones spread their crowns of stinging tentacles wide up to three feet 1 m.
Stichodactyla spp anemones otherwise known as carpet anemones are fascinating creatures and highly sought after by hobbyists.
The animal uses these stinging cells to subdue its prey the occasional unwary.
Carpet anemones house symbiotic algae zooxanthellae in their tissues just like reef dwelling corals do and thus rely heavily on strong lighting in order to stay healthy.
Anemones 9 carpet anemones 2 rock flower anemones 7 aquacultured 26 collector corals 16 colonies 161 lps 120 acan echinata 1 acan lord 3 alveopora 3 bubble coral 5 candy canes 5 chalice 9 cynarina 4 duncan 1 elegance 3 favia favites 6 frogspawn 8 fungia 8 goniopora 5 hammer branching 13 hammer wall 4.
The short tentacles of this anemone deliver a sting strong enough to cause an uncomfortable rash on unprotected skin.
By mike maddox.
Most anemones are sessile with a specialized foot used to anchor them in soft substrates or attach themselves to rocks and corals.
There are hundreds of sea anemone species throughout the world s oceans and they run the full spectrum of colors.
Meet the carpet anemone.
Big beautiful and deadly.
Once in place carefully move some sandy substrate around the column and increase the flow rate back to the normal output.
Tidal gardens carries bubble tip anemones carpet anemones and rock flower anemones.