07FocusST
Well-known member
If my Ritteri Anemone's mouth is split all the way down to the foot on one side does this mean its going to split or could it be an injury? It's been day 2 since I have noticed the mouth tear.
Ritteri anemone split or injury?
- Thread starter 07FocusST
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DTECH07
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Dtech07
Dtech07
While it's very rare, Ritteri anemone are capable of splitting, in captivity. However, it's usually caused by some type of injury or stress.
07FocusST
Well-known member
I dont have ny indication of stress besides acclimation. It seems to inflate & deflate once a day since I got it. I noticed the split action after a 10G water change. This is the time when my RBTA split, after a water change. Here is a picture of it as of last night. Today it seemed a little deflate and is moving which is weird. It hasn't moved since I got it. I did verify the the split is vertical from mouth th foot making a gap in it.
NC2WA
Well-known member
how long have you had it?
07FocusST
Well-known member
almost a month
NC2WA
Well-known member
hmmm..so to me doesn't sound like an acclimation issue, but more of a stress issue..could be anything..pH or salinity fluctuation, temp change, etc
anything like that happen??
anything like that happen??
07FocusST
Well-known member
Last water test is as follows:
Temp: 79F-81F
S.G. 1.024-1.025
pH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Phosphate: 0.25ppm
Alk: 8dKH
Calcium: 500ppm
Mg: 1200ppm
Temp normlly ranges 79f-81f because of the lights, pumps and no Chiller. My CL system is very capable of handling their liking of flow. Salinity stays the same, but a water change will tend to disrupt parameters for a little bit. Running 2x 250w 14k MH and 2x 48" Actinics. Nem is bout a foot from the light about the top of the tank. It is now reaching down towards the sand and is moving. It did not move when I originlly placed it in the tank.... until now.
Temp: 79F-81F
S.G. 1.024-1.025
pH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Phosphate: 0.25ppm
Alk: 8dKH
Calcium: 500ppm
Mg: 1200ppm
Temp normlly ranges 79f-81f because of the lights, pumps and no Chiller. My CL system is very capable of handling their liking of flow. Salinity stays the same, but a water change will tend to disrupt parameters for a little bit. Running 2x 250w 14k MH and 2x 48" Actinics. Nem is bout a foot from the light about the top of the tank. It is now reaching down towards the sand and is moving. It did not move when I originlly placed it in the tank.... until now.
Boomer
Well-known member
20 years ago my Rit split an I had done noting to the water. Most splitting is from stress, even though you may not think there is any. Slipping in nature is very rare for carpet type anemones.
splitting in nature is not rare or heteractis magnifica.. there are fields of these NEMS (this is usually how they are collected) and the presumed method of their existence is from splitting. There are also solitary morphs of the magnifica species but these are rarer for obvious reasons, They are more commonly found in groups.
Boomer
Well-known member
Based on what? Everything I have seen does not show that. Finding nems in groups does not equal splitting and should not be assumed. There is about zippo on them splitting in nature.
I think it is a safe assumption that if there are large groups similiar individuals of anemones together of somewhat equal size and similar color that they are from binary fission. Anemones that are suspected to sexually reproduce or from budding you do not find in these colonial situations. (gigantae, haddoni)
I dont have quick access to any great scientific information other than that most of what I know about Heteractis magnifica supports that they split in nature...
Do you have evidence otherwise to support the null?
I dont have quick access to any great scientific information other than that most of what I know about Heteractis magnifica supports that they split in nature...
Do you have evidence otherwise to support the null?
Boomer
Well-known member
It is not safe to assume at all. All carpets be it short or long tentacle carpets are mostly sequence spawners like many corals, where they all spawn at the same time. Furthermore, when carpet anemones split they are not usually the the same size. So, it is a safe assumption that in such an event those eggs will be fertilized and settle out near the parents and would be of similar size. A number of reefers and public aquariums have had carpet spawns and in most case it is sexual. Very few anemones are asexuality slippers/binary fissioners but are much more Basal Laceration. Most anemones are Dioecious but a some are Hermaphroditic or Parthenogenic. In my book on the biology of anemones out of ~ 15 species of anemones only one of them is know for fission. There is also very little documented evidence in the wild for carpets on spitting, most are seen in sexual spawning. I'm not saying they never split but it is rare. Even BTA are rare in the wild for splitting. But yes anemones can repro of various means. Very little is know about the % of repro by carpets from x, y or z type of repro. The rule is "Typically, anemone larvae have a planktonic developmental phase before settling."but a good exception to that is the famous cloning green, Anthopleura sola known for its clone wars. All anemones are capable of spitting but it does not me it is the preferred means of repro.
But here is a H. magnifica splitting in an aquarium.
However, with all that said above, H.magnifica carpets spawn more than once a year. One study showed that H. magnifica went through asexual rerpo in the winter. This study also seems to show the spitting is highly induced by the presence of clown fish and the growth rates of the hosted anemones where much more than the unhosted anemones by 3x. So, it seems that in short, splitting is more induced by stress, host fish and is in the winter spawn. So, I will take back it is rare but mostly induce by host fish for what ever reason
This is a recent study I have not seen till now in Coral Reefs.
Holbrook, SJ; Schmitt, RJ (2005). Growth, reproduction, and survival of a tropical sea anemone (Actinaria): benefits of hosting anemonefish. Coral reefs [Coral Reefs]. Vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 67-73
But here is a H. magnifica splitting in an aquarium.
However, with all that said above, H.magnifica carpets spawn more than once a year. One study showed that H. magnifica went through asexual rerpo in the winter. This study also seems to show the spitting is highly induced by the presence of clown fish and the growth rates of the hosted anemones where much more than the unhosted anemones by 3x. So, it seems that in short, splitting is more induced by stress, host fish and is in the winter spawn. So, I will take back it is rare but mostly induce by host fish for what ever reason
This is a recent study I have not seen till now in Coral Reefs.Holbrook, SJ; Schmitt, RJ (2005). Growth, reproduction, and survival of a tropical sea anemone (Actinaria): benefits of hosting anemonefish. Coral reefs [Coral Reefs]. Vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 67-73
07FocusST
Well-known member
I think I need a brain condom because I just got mind fuct! Great information non the less!!!
07FocusST
Well-known member
It's-a-splittin'.... taking its sweet time though. Now that would be 2 anemones that have split in this tnk in a matter of 2 months!!! Sweet! Got a few horrible cell phone camera shots in the dark.
"when carpet anemones split " Im just saying that it may not be fair to generalize the "carpets" especially mags is relation to the other two as only Mags have been known to split at all as opposed to haddoni and gig which from which rarely if ever split.
But thanks for the info.
But thanks for the info.
1fishkeeper
Keeper of the algae
Gig's and haddoni's dont split. When I get home I will post some pictures of my mag splitting. I would have to say that it took close to a week for it to split. Unlike the BTA that I have that will split in a mater of mins I swear.
