What are they doing?

[user 26995]

I have these zoanthids that are a bluish color with a brown skirt. Under actinics tonight I observed them doing something I didn't know they did. They have ?tongues? I guess. They have extended from their mouth about 4-6 inches long. Are they searching for food? Are these the feelers they send out to sting other corals. The closest other zoanthid is 5 inches away and that is where they have extended these feelers to

 

[jag3534]

I don't know. +1 for what are they doing? Stinging cell feelers?

 

[luisse25]

they are poopingthey do that once i a while...

 

[user 26995]

they are poopingthey do that once i a while...

noooo...pooping? What you see is not a stream of liquid. These things retract back into their mouths. Kind of like the feelers worms put out to capture food! They were about 5-6 inches long and weaving in and around some of my other zoa's. Kinda like they were feeling them up.

 

[Myteemouse]

some of mine do that as well.
mine aren't that long
i just always that they were pooping lol

 

[user 26995]

some of mine do that as well.
mine aren't that long
i just always that they were pooping lol

You know now that I think about it, I did read somewhere that they do expell (poop) but I am almost possitive this is not what they are doing here. Pic was taken under one actinic since the other one went out yesterday. So the pic is not as clear as it could be, but it is definately an extension of itself of some kind, like a feeler.

 

[Pentagona]

looks like pooping to me mine do it all the time, and yes....sometimes it retracts into their mouth.....kind of like a cling on :O

 

[user 26995]

looks like pooping to me .....kind of like a cling on :O

LOL That made me think about my poor dog being chased around the yard by that cling on :lol::lol::lol: She hates when that happens

 

[user 26995]

Just an update on what they are doing. Here is what I found out from someone else.
"they are doing battle. pretty cool. That is rare to get a picture. They fight all the time but mostly chemical warfare. Those are palyathoa and a bit more aggressive than zoanthids. very nice looking though. 5 inches is nothing in the scheme of things, and yes, they could be causing damage to other colonies"

 

[Pentagona]

probably doing battle with that aptasia thats growing at the base of them :wink:

 

[user 26995]

probably doing battle with that aptasia thats growing at the base of them :wink:

Maybe. And either they won or the nudibranches got it because its gone.