Rock Flower Anemone Gender ID

[Deyan]

From past forums and convos with other reefers.. no one has ever known how to ID these nems.. well I honestly feel like I know the difference between them after owning them in the past.. it’s been right under our noses. I think the difference lays upon the mouth. Looking over pics and different specimen. There’s is always those with tight mouth and the others with the big lips. I’ve seen my big lip nems in my tank release sperm after wc a bit cooler ending photoperiod.. So my guess is big lip like left nem is male and small mouth like right are female.. hope this observation helps others when buying nems.

 

[blaxsun]

I'll have to do a cursory inspection tomorrow...

 

[EL_Perron]

From past forums and convos with other reefers.. no one has ever known how to ID these nems.. well I honestly feel like I know the difference between them after owning them in the past.. it’s been right under our noses. I think the difference lays upon the mouth. Looking over pics and different specimen. There’s is always those with tight mouth and the others with the big lips. I’ve seen my big lip nems in my tank release sperm after wc a bit cooler ending photoperiod.. So my guess is big lip like left nem is male and small mouth like right are female.. hope this observation helps others when buying nems.

This is far from scientific or conclusive. Its an interesting observation...but it is just that, an observation.

 

[Nick Steele]

I honestly feel like I have seen all three of my nems look both ways. I’ll double check my pics but I’m almost sure.

 

[AC1211]

@Ron Reefman
Perhaps you could be of help here?
Or at least of interest.

 

[OrchidMiss]

I honestly feel like I have seen all three of my nems look both ways. I’ll double check my pics but I’m almost sure.

Mine all do this, depending on the flow and if I'm feeding.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have no idea if this 'observation' is correct or not. But it's an idea worth looking into. Currently the only way to tell male or female in a RFA is by dissecting and viewing the reproductive organs.

I hope somebody with a lot of RFA's that spawn regularly will see this and see if it holds true over time.

My honest opinion, and it is 100% my OPINION, is that this is unlikely to prove true over time. But I think it would be fantastic if it proved to be true!

Maybe @Peace River has a connection to somebody who might have a good sample to check. Maybe a marine biologist who can dissect a few and see it they can confirm or reject this hypothesis.

 

[homer1475]

I've seen mine do this, male or female.

I know which are which in my tank(I've have seen many spawns). As said above, depending on flow and what I feed that day, I have seen my males and females all have "puffy" lips, or tight lipped at one time or another.

Interesting observations, but I don't think it holds true.