Octopus coral has one long arm

[Makbarracuda]

In the past month or so my octopus coral has extended one arm out past all of the others. I just wanted to know if this is normal, and if so, what is it doing. It is right against the mouth but can't feed itself with it because it is so long. Any info on this would make me feel better.

 

[wicked demon]

are you refering to an octocoral? ie; xenia, anthellia, cloves?

 

[subielover]

Sounds like a sweeper. Are there any corals near it? Sweeper tentacles act as a defense, stinging any other coral within reach.

 

[wicked demon]

google says some people call frogspawn octopus corals?..(go figure)
if thats the case I would not worry about it unless (as stated above) it can touch a neighboring coral, then cut it off or move one of the corals.

 

[rendos]

Sounds like a sweeper tentacle. It is on a search and destroy mission. Keeping the area around it clear of other corals.

 

[Makbarracuda]

Ok thanks yeah bought it as a honeywell octopus coral but looks like a bland frogspawn. The only thing that made me think it was something different, was the fact that on the heads even two inches across, the tentacles were 1/4" to 1/2" long where most frogspawns are over an inch on 3/4" heads. But where it is at it cant reach anything but more rock. Thanks for the info, but any idea why it would do this now? The type of salt is the only thing that changed within the time frame of this occurrence. Could this have effected the little guy in that way?

 

[benny z]

google says some people call frogspawn octopus corals?..(go figure)
if thats the case I would not worry about it unless (as stated above) it can touch a neighboring coral, then cut it off or move one of the corals.

there's traditional frogspawn, and then there's "octopus" frogspawn. the octopus frogs look like an octopus. hard to describe, but there is a difference.

 

[ibjhb]

Any pics?