Help ID weird polyp found in sand

[Formulator]

Not sure what this thing is. I’ve removed it to a quarantine container for now, but not ready to flush it… looks kind of cool. It was in the sand near a large-ish favia colony. Baby sea cucumber/apple? Something more nefarious?

 

[kevgib67]

@ISpeakForTheSeas ?

 

[cngh]

maybe some kind of corynactis anemone? i've seen them generically called "ball anemones" or if pink in color then "strawberry anemones."

 

[dakoop]

Looks like a nem of some sort. Not sure

 

[Formulator]

Friend or foe?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not sure what this thing is. I’ve removed it to a quarantine container for now, but not ready to flush it… looks kind of cool. It was in the sand near a large-ish favia colony. Baby sea cucumber/apple? Something more nefarious?

This looks to be a ball anemone. They remain small and here is a puzzling fact as others stated they are a good anemone. Anemone ???
Ball Anemones are actually not anemones at all, it is actually a mushroom coral that is commonly confused by too many as a Majano Aiptasia. Unlike an Aiptasia, they are reef safe, they commonly stay closed during the day and open up at night. The tips if its anemone-like tentacles end with a ball tip giving it its' name

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Friend or foe?

Yeah, that's a Corallimorph (A.K.A. Ball Anemone) of some kind - Corynactis is one of the genera in the family.

They're related to soft mushroom corals (they arguably are mushroom corals), and they're generally harmless (at least the kinds we get in the hobby), though some species may reproduce pretty quickly in aquariums. A lot people keep them because they're neat little critters.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Friend or foe?

Reef safe and desired by many aquarists

 

[Formulator]

Thanks all! I have decided to return the ball anemone to my display. Cool little critter!

 

[BristleWormHater]

Thanks all! I have decided to return the ball anemone to my display. Cool little critter!

Man I've been wanting one of those so bad ever since I saw these at the Tennessee aquarium. Lucky find! They are predatory, but at that size I wouldn't worry about it unless you have really a really small fish or curious invert.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Man I've been wanting one of those so bad ever since I saw these at the Tennessee aquarium. Lucky find! They are predatory, but at that size I wouldn't worry about it unless you have really a really small fish or curious invert.

A great way to ID these is the massive lips lol

 

[PharmrJohn]

I've kept a Sea Apple. I can tell ya it's not that.

 

[Formulator]

A great way to ID these is the massive lips lol

I can attest to that!

 

[BristleWormHater]

I can attest to that!

I've successfully derailed this thread