Help Identifying an Anemone

[HL649]

I have an anemone that I got on a piece of live rock as a hitchiker. It wasn't very big when I got it but is has grown a bit. I have an idea, but thought I would ask if anyone knows what species this is. Any ideas?

http://picasaweb.google.ca/lh/photo/5zzt-DnDl-8BcTyqR6Ai2ToF0je4OGpsmpxpUigBtHg?feat=directlink

[Bloodasp]

wild guess but i think it's a sebae just because it has purple tips.

[globaldesigns]

I am thinking Ritteri Anemone

check out this link:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+499+631&pcatid=631

[Delphinus]

I'd say BTA (Entacmaea quadricolor) if it likes wedging the pedal disk into crevasses or caves or under overhangs, and ritteri (H. magnifica) if it likes to keep the pedal disk out in the open. Either way, one heck of a nice "hitchhiker". Personally I am leaning towards BTA by the way the tentacles have that bulge to them and it kind of looks like it has some rosy highlights to it.

[marvinsae]

I am thinking Ritteri Anemone

check out this link:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+499+631&pcatid=631


+1 looks like a ritteri

[HL649]

I was looking at it again this morning and I still think BTA. Can see a little bit of bubble tips starting to form. This guy used to be quite brown in color and has only recently started to whiten up and lose it's color. I am assuming this means he's happy or am I wrong. Should I be worried?

[Delphinus]

I'm fairly certain it's a BTA as well. The probability of BTA is about 95% and the probability of ritteri about 5%. At this size they can be hard to distinguish but it does look more BTA to me (just basing this on having looked at a LOT of both species over the years).

As for the bleaching, it's hard to say. They can lighten up, or darken up, in response to changes in light conditions and this can be as simple as it moving under an overhang or deeper into a crevasse and thus getting more or less light. It looks healthy to me, they derive far more nutrition from feeding than from photosynthesis anyhow (actually the energy they do get from photosynthesis tends to be more like carbs, high energy, quick release type stuff, like eating a candybar; but feeding tends to yield more slow-release protein type energy which is better for growth). I don't have any links handy to back this claim up offhand but the info is out there if you wanted to google on it. Point being though, that as long as it's eating and otherwise doing OK the specific hue isn't as important as other things.

[HL649]

I think the BTA folks win. Here is a recent picture.

[mechano]

+1 BTA for sure. got a couple in my current setup and they look identical.

[TJSlayer]

Yep Green Bubble tip cool coloration though with the pink tips....make sure you feed it mysis or shrimp of some sort.....