Anemones

Anemones

Anemones are a group of aquatic animals, which are predatory in nature. They inherit their name, Anemones, from a terrestrial flower, as they resemble an Anemone’s floral disc. Fresh Marine offers several beautiful Anemones to grace your aquarium. However, prior to delving into specific models, let us understand the following standards common to Anemones:

Compatibility: Anemones are aggressive towards their tank mates and if obstructed, may sting them. The stings of Anemones are quite strong & powerful and therefore; keep the other members of your marine aquarium away from Anemones.

Habit & Habitat. Being sedentary in nature, Anemones are generally found attached on coral rubble or in the crevices of solid reefs in their natural marine habitat.

Morphology. Anemones possess a sac-like body cavity, Coelenteron, where digestion, assimilation, and, respiration occur. The only opening in Anemones’ body is Mouth, which also serves as Anus. Several Tentacles, laced with the stinging cells, Nematocysts, encircle the oral opening. Tentacles are the organs of food acquisition and defense in an Anemone’s body. Overall, Anemones are hardy creatures and their appearance may vary according to the available water and light conditions.

Ideal Marine Aquarium Environment. Anemones thrive at a temperature of 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit or 24-26 degrees Celsius, a Specific Gravity of 1.024 and a pH of water at 8.30-8.40. Anemones require moderate, indirect, & intermittent water movement and high intensity illumination. You should keep Anemones in an already established marine aquarium of the required capacity. Your reef tank should be equipped with Live Rocks, Coral Rocks, and sand in it to ensure deep holes or crevices for the Anemones to anchor themselves.

Aquarium Feeding. Anemones derive their nutrition primarily through photosynthesis, performed by Zooxanthellae, an acellular photosynthetic alga living symbiotically within the Anemones. In addition, Anemones symbiotically host usually Clownfish by providing shelter to them, and in turn getting food from the fish. Therefore, it is great if you can keep the Anemones with Marine Clownfish, such as Premnas biaculeatus, Amphiprion frenatus, or Amphiprion chrysopterus, to name some. If you do not have Clownfish in your marine aquarium then you will need to feed the Omnivorous Anemones with meaty bits of Fish, Squid, Shrimp, or Worms. Add Iodine and Trace Elements to the aquarium water as dietary supplements for Anemones.

Care. Anemones need intensive care by an Expert aquarist and are difficult to maintain. Don’t relocate an anchored Anemone as its foot can be damaged leading to its death ultimately. Anemones may sting you too and make your fingers numb for sometime. Therefore, do wear plastic gloves while handling them. Now, let us look at some of the bestselling Anemones available at Fresh Marine.

Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor). Also called as Four Colored Anemone, Maroon Bulb Anemone, Bulb Tip Anemone, Bulb Tentacle Anemone, Bulb Anemone, and Rose Anemone, Bubble Tip Anemone occurs in Tan, Orange, Brown, Red, Pink, Maroon, & common Green colors. The tentacles of Entacmaea quadricolor are short and bulbous when relaxing (so the name), while they elongate to become sweeper tentacles at the time of feeding.

Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni). Also commonly known as Green Carpet Anemone, Haddon’s Carpet Anemone, Sand Carpet Anemone, Haddon’s Anemone, Saddle Anemone, Glass Pearl Anemone, Giant Anemone, Giant Carpet Anemone, and Saddle Carpet Anemone, Stichodactyla haddoni comes in Assorted Colors and Green color at Fresh Marine, while it also occurs in Yellow, Blue, Grey, Pink, and Tan colors. Carpet Anemones have a large, single Polyp with short, even Tentacles on the surface of their Oral Disk, resembling the appearance of a carpet.

Condylactis Anemone (Condylactis gigantean). Also commonly known as Florida Condy, Haitian Anemone, and Giant Golden Anemone, Condylactis Anemone occurs in Brown, Green, Orange, Purple, and White colors. Condylactis Anemones symbiotically host Shrimps and Diamond Blennies. These Anemones have a single, large Polyp, with a slit like central Mouth and long Tentacles. The tips of Tentacles may be Green, Purple, or Magenta in color. Reef Haitian Anemone (Condylactis species), commonly called as the Haitian Anemone, Atlantic Anemone, Pink Tip Anemone, Haitian Condylactis, and Condy Anemone is also a good variation in the range.

Long Tentacle Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis). Also called as Corkscrew Anemone, Red Base Anemone, Sand Anemone, and Long Tentacle Red Base Anemone, Long Tentacle Anemone occurs in Brown, Orange, Red, Grey, and Purple colors & their variations. These Anemones have a single Polyp with spaced Tentacles. The base of Long Tentacle Anemone is generally Red or Orange in color.

Ritteri Anemone (Heteractis magnifica). Also commonly known as Magnificent Sea Anemone, Heteractis Magnificent Sea Anemone, Maroon Anemone, Red Radianthus, Sea Anemone, Bulb Tip Anemone, Radianthus Anemone, and Yellow Tipped Long Tentacle Anemone, Ritteri Anemone occurs in Red, Purple, Pink, Blue, Tan, Brown, Orange, and Green colors. Apart from Clownfish, these Anemones may also host Commonsals and Shrimps some times. The least hardy of all the Anemones community, the oral disc of Heteractis magnifica is well populated with around eight centimeters long, finger shaped, Green or Brown colored Tentacles, which are slightly swollen at tips at times. The Purple, Green, Red, or Brown colored column of Ritteri Anemone has vertical rows of Verrucae. The column can close in entirety assuming the shape of a ball. When rearing these Anemones, zero the Nitrites and Nitrates level in the aquarium water. Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa), also commonly known as Long Tentacles, Leather Anemone, Radianthus Keukenthali, Purple Tip Anemone, Pink Tip Anemone, Long Tentacle Anemone, Sebae Anemone, and Leathery Anemone, is also a great option in the range.

Tube Anemone (Ceranthus membranaceus). Also commonly known as Cerianthus Anemone, Tube Dwelling Anemone, Colored Tube Anemone, Brown Tube Anemone, and Burrowing Anemone, Tube Anemone occurs in Brown, Tan, Chocolate, Yellow, Pink, Green, Orange, Blue, and Purple colors. These Anemones have no symbiotic relationship with any animal and they live in their Tube, which is permanently buried in sand, gravel, or mud. The Oral Disc has two circles of around seventy different Tentacles with a mouth at the center. The Tentacles of Tube Anemone may be Brown, Green, or White in color with Dark Brown colored striped pattern on them. The inner ring of the tentacles has smaller sized tentacles than the ones in the outer ring.

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