Is it true btas sting corals?

[Reefing_addiction]

Do btas really sting corals?

I read some conflicting information today

does anyone have first hand experience with a bta killing or stinging a coral of any kind?

 

[Sosuke]

Yes they sting corals. Mine is killing my cabbage leather

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Yes they sting corals. Mine is killing my cabbage leather

I move all my movable frags up to drag rocks because my nem is acting up! Well that and I had to move him due to my new rock arrangements

 

[Sosuke]

Yea I would keep any coral away from BTAs

 

[Timfish]

They will sting you too! Initially an anemone may not seem to be bothering nieghbors much but it may have fired most of it's nematocysts so isn't able to pack much of a sting. As it recovers from being handled it's going to be able to do a lot more damage. I don't feel stings from established BTAs on my fingers and hands where the skin is thicker but if the tenticles get webing at the base of my fingers or my wrist they will leave welts. The same goes for a lot of other corals also

 

[PicassoClown04]

Here’s my favia that’s dying. Encrusted to the rock so I can’t move it. The nem just split so it gets a break while the nem grows back. The blue line shows the healthy favia on the left and the dead part from the anemone on the right. Keep in mind that this favia has been getting stung for MONTHS and this is the only damage. It is still encrusting well And extends feeders.

 

[dan3949]

Absolutely - RBTA will sting/kill most any coral it touches. But they are awesome!

 

[fcmatt]

bta versus montipora setosa. Bta wins.

 

[92Miata]

Is it true that BTAS can sting corals, and can kill them? Yes. Absolutely.

Is it true that BTAs will sting corals? Thats more complicated. Sometimes they will. Sometimes they won't. Sometimes they'll be fine for a long time and then want to murder things.

One of my BTAs is currently sitting in a hole in a rock with zoas all around it (and basically has tentacles lying on the zoas all day) and its been fine. Will it continue? Who knows. I'm not going to worry about it because there are plenty of those zoas, and it looks fine at the moment.

 

[fcmatt]

Is sting being used as whatever slimy substance on the bta irritates the other side enough to kill it?

I never considered it a sting. Just whatever coats the outside of the bta can damage a sensitive coral.

Sting is more appropriate when discussing jellyfish. A penetration like a bee sting.

Nevermind! Bta are similar to haddoni and others. But is it the sting or the slime doing the most damage?

They use venomous cells. nematocysts found in their tentacles, to sting and deflect any possible threats or attacks, and also use them to catch prey

So my question should be does a bta consider most coral fleshy enough to sting or does the non stinging contact actually harm them. The slime?