Anemone ID? Carpet?

[Rtaylor]

Can anyone help ID this anemone please? It was sold as a short tentacle Vietnam anemone. Some info in case it helps:
1. It is sticky, but not super sticky
2. It doesn’t seem to have a strong sting (I couldn’t feel it)
3. The pedal is a whitish/tan color and sticky
4. Under the oral disk it is darker, more purplish with whitish verraccue
5. I can’t see the bottom of the foot
6. It has settled in a rock crevice and hasn’t tried to move at all (about 3 weeks)

Here are some photos:

 

[fishguy242]

@F i s h y @Eagle_Steve ?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Stichodactyla mertensii.

Aka Merten Nem.

Also looks much better than your previous post asking for an ID. Sorry I missed the updated pics and the notification in the previous thread.

It has colored up nicely and looks super healthy.

 

[Rtaylor]

Stichodactyla mertensii.

Aka Merten Nem.

Also looks much better than your previous post asking for an ID. Sorry I missed the updated pics and the notification in the previous thread.

It has colored up nicely and looks super healthy.

No worries, thank you! Could it be a Mertens even if it doesn’t have red/purple verracue? Because they are definitely very light in color, almost white.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

No worries, thank you! Could it be a Mertens even if it doesn’t have red/purple verracue? Because they are definitely very light in color, almost white.

Yes. This guy does not have red, but a more tan color.

 

[Rtaylor]

Yes. This guy does not have red, but a more tan color.

Awesome, I’ve been trying to sort out what it is, but it didn’t meet all the identifying ‘criteria’ for any of them. It’s been driving me nuts

beautiful nem btw. Thanks again

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Awesome, I’ve been trying to sort out what it is, but it didn’t meet all the identifying ‘criteria’ for any of them. It’s been driving me nuts

beautiful nem btw. Thanks again

The thing about nems. Some things change from region to region. ID of nems can be fun at times. I have 5 mertens and only 3 have red. The other 2 are tan or a muted green. All are mertens though.

Just glad you do not have nps nems that need an ID. Those are a real challenge and make me have to dig through books, my old notes and real pictures lol.

 

[OrionN]

I can tell you what it is not.
I do not think it is a Mertensii. They do have very clear dark color verrucae
Of course it is not a Gigantea or Haddoni
Not Magnifica, BTA, LTA or Aurora.
If it is a host anemone it can be either a Malu or Crispa. Is it a sand anemone or rock? My guess for sand anemone is Malu or Crispa if it does not like sand.
either that or a non host anemone all together

 

[Taylor t]

Mertens have a larger foot and red veracue that are not well organized/uniform pattern, as they go all the way down the foot it becomes a bit erratic patterned and streaking red. Pattern goes all the way from disk where it starts as semi organized spots typically, and turns to an inconsistent pattern with spots and streaks to attach point on foot.

Caribbean anemone are confused with mertens often because they have red verecue also, but these are very uniform spots and don’t turn into streaks of red down the foot.

It is not mertens. My guess is H Malu. And a nice one!

 

[Taylor t]

Yes. This guy does not have red, but a more tan color.

Wow what a fantastic animal! Can you show us some pictures under side and down the foot please?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Wow what a fantastic animal! Can you show us some pictures under side and down the foot please?

That would mean lifting up an 18” - 24”, depending on the day, nem lol. When I feed later today I can try to snag some of the underside. The foot is 100% in a hole in the rock it sits on.

Also, looking at the pics on my work laptop and not my phone the ops nem may be a malu.

Sent some of the pics to my importer who is a super nem expert and we shall see what she says, as well. A lot of new sites in Vietnam have been used for recent imports and we are seeing some cool variation of all kinds of nems come in. Hope to have a box of them in the next week or so. All the big guys have been getting first grab at them, so the little guy has to wait lol.

 

[Rtaylor]

I can tell you what it is not.
I do not think it is a Mertensii. They do have very clear dark color verrucae
Of course it is not a Gigantea or Haddoni
Not Magnifica, BTA, LTA or Aurora.
If it is a host anemone it can be either a Malu or Crispa. Is it a sand anemone or rock? My guess for sand anemone is Malu or Crispa if it does not like sand.
either that or a non host anemone all together

It seems happy on a rock

 

[Rtaylor]

I can tell you what it is not.
I do not think it is a Mertensii. They do have very clear dark color verrucae
Of course it is not a Gigantea or Haddoni
Not Magnifica, BTA, LTA or Aurora.
If it is a host anemone it can be either a Malu or Crispa. Is it a sand anemone or rock? My guess for sand anemone is Malu or Crispa if it does not like sand.
either that or a non host anemone all together

Thank you for your help. What are some identifying characteristics I should look for to distinguish between them? I did a quick lookup of both h.crispa and h.malu and it does look similar. Of the 2 it appears more similar to a malu as the tentacles of the crispa seem to be much longer (based on a very quick search).

 

[Rtaylor]

Mertens have a larger foot and red veracue that are not well organized/uniform pattern, as they go all the way down the foot it becomes a bit erratic patterned and streaking red. Pattern goes all the way from disk where it starts as semi organized spots typically, and turns to an inconsistent pattern with spots and streaks to attach point on foot.

Caribbean anemone are confused with mertens often because they have red verecue also, but these are very uniform spots and don’t turn into streaks of red down the foot.

It is not mertens. My guess is H Malu. And a nice one!

Thank you! What characteristics make you think it’s a malu? Are there specific identifying features I should look for?

 

[Rtaylor]

That would mean lifting up an 18” - 24”, depending on the day, nem lol. When I feed later today I can try to snag some of the underside. The foot is 100% in a hole in the rock it sits on.

Also, looking at the pics on my work laptop and not my phone the ops nem may be a malu.

Sent some of the pics to my importer who is a super nem expert and we shall see what she says, as well. A lot of new sites in Vietnam have been used for recent imports and we are seeing some cool variation of all kinds of nems come in. Hope to have a box of them in the next week or so. All the big guys have been getting first grab at them, so the little guy has to wait lol.

Thank you!

 

[OrionN]

Thank you for your help. What are some identifying characteristics I should look for to distinguish between them? I did a quick lookup of both h.crispa and h.malu and it does look similar. Of the 2 it appears more similar to a malu as the tentacles of the crispa seem to be much longer (based on a very quick search).

it is difficult to differentiate H. malu from H. crispa especially small anemones. Malu stays much smaller than Crispa so after several months of feeding, and he isn't larger than 8 inches, you have a Malu.
the different between them are more define when they are healthy. Your anemone is much stressed right now so it is much more difficult.
Malu
Sand bed
Smaller max 8 inches
lower tentacle counts
sometime have rings on some of the tentacles
Sometime have different color tentacles in radial paters (regular interval group of tentacles that have different color than the rest)
Tentacles not as long or as pointed as Crispa
Male and female sex, male broadcast sperms which then take in to the female, have internal fertilixation and developed. Mom released small anemones with zooxanthellae with settle and grow to form new anemones. The have been reproduced successfully in captive aquarium before

Crispa
Stay on the rock
Much larger to 15-18 inches in diameter
Higher tentacles count, longer and with pointed tips
Do not have ring on tentacle and do not have variable color tentacles (same as most of the Malu)
Both male and female are broadcast spawner.

You have a Malu, identical to one of my green Malu. I was lookoing at it on cell phone before. Now with my high resolution computer screen, it is clear that you have a H. malu.

 

[Rtaylor]

it is difficult to differentiate H. malu from H. crispa especially small anemones. Malu stays much smaller than Crispa so after several months of feeding, and he isn't larger than 8 inches, you have a Malu.
the different between them are more define when they are healthy. Your anemone is much stressed right now so it is much more difficult.
Malu
Sand bed
Smaller max 8 inches
lower tentacle counts
sometime have rings on some of the tentacles
Sometime have different color tentacles in radial paters (regular interval group of tentacles that have different color than the rest)
Tentacles not as long or as pointed as Crispa
Male and female sex, male broadcast sperms which then take in to the female, have internal fertilixation and developed. Mom released small anemones with zooxanthellae with settle and grow to form new anemones. The have been reproduced successfully in captive aquarium before

Crispa
Stay on the rock
Much larger to 15-18 inches in diameter
Higher tentacles count, longer and with pointed tips
Do not have ring on tentacle and do not have variable color tentacles (same as most of the Malu)
Both male and female are broadcast spawner.

You have a Malu, identical to one of my green Malu. I was lookoing at it on cell phone before. Now with my high resolution computer screen, it is clear that you have a H. malu.

Thank you!!

 

[Rtaylor]

it is difficult to differentiate H. malu from H. crispa especially small anemones. Malu stays much smaller than Crispa so after several months of feeding, and he isn't larger than 8 inches, you have a Malu.
the different between them are more define when they are healthy. Your anemone is much stressed right now so it is much more difficult.
Malu
Sand bed
Smaller max 8 inches
lower tentacle counts
sometime have rings on some of the tentacles
Sometime have different color tentacles in radial paters (regular interval group of tentacles that have different color than the rest)
Tentacles not as long or as pointed as Crispa
Male and female sex, male broadcast sperms which then take in to the female, have internal fertilixation and developed. Mom released small anemones with zooxanthellae with settle and grow to form new anemones. The have been reproduced successfully in captive aquarium before

Crispa
Stay on the rock
Much larger to 15-18 inches in diameter
Higher tentacles count, longer and with pointed tips
Do not have ring on tentacle and do not have variable color tentacles (same as most of the Malu)
Both male and female are broadcast spawner.

You have a Malu, identical to one of my green Malu. I was lookoing at it on cell phone before. Now with my high resolution computer screen, it is clear that you have a H.

It would be awesome if there was an anemone identification guide with this type of info. I spent hours searching online and I don’t think I would have ever found the right info on my own. Thanks again

 

[chizerbunoi]

Looked like a purple malu sebae to me too. Characteristic white foot with wart like verrucae that bumps out (your Pic 3). I can see some concentric rings on the tentacles (your Pic 1).

some reference from my heteractis crispa.

 

[Pinky80]

It's hard to say, because your pics show a nem that is in it's "angry" mood. The tentacles are shortened and tight, he looks like he's been touched and is on the defensive. It's a pretty nem though, and I think you have a good find.

Looking at your picts, I first thought it was a Heteractis Crispa. The later picts make it look like a Heteractis Malu. And then I thought, what if it's a hybrid? It seems to look like a Crispa and a Malu all at once! Hybrids do happen. If I were forced to select one or the other, I would lean towards a Malu.