Burrowing Tube Anemone
"My relatives are chickens, But not me! I DO NOT play Ostrich! You’ll find me sticking my head high out of the sand, not buried like them"
12/02/2009

The Tube Anemone burrows so only its crown if visible, but if disturbed will instantly retract

so its whole body is hidden!

The Tube Anemone, like all tube dwelling anemones, has some very unique traits. It has a long, soft, cylindrical body with a pointed foot on one end and topped with a crown of tentacles on the other. It uses its pointed foot to burrow deep into a sandy or muddy substrate, leaving only the oral disc and tentacles exposed on the surface. Once in the substrate it constructs a hard tube to live in.

The name ‘ tube dwelling anemone’ is derived from their ability to build a tube to live in. It was previously believed that they created their tube by releasing a mucus, which then become covered with sand. Today however, it is known that they create the tube by releasing threads of a special type of nematocysts called ‘ptychocyst’… Read More

Elvis
"Betcha can’t guess which star Elvis looks like!"
2010-05-05

Here’s what Lynn Hennessy says about Elvis:

"His Dad was long haired and his mom was a smooth Chihuahua. He just started to howl and it is hysterical. He howls when visitors he bonded with leave the house."

"Now that is cuteness beyond compare! Especially when he dresses up like Elvis! Thanks for sharing him with us."

Yellow Sun Coral
Tubastraea aurea
"Nicely subdued in color, yet still a brilliant reef aquarium attraction"
6/18/2010

The bright Yellow Sun Coral is another one of those… ‘knock-your-socks-off’ …beauties!

The pretty Yellow Sun Coral Tubastraea aurea is a nicely subdued color version of the Tubastraea genus. Another great photographic coral. The corallites of the T. aurea, the hard round, tubular structures that the polyps live in, are covered with a tissue called the coenosteum. The polyps have lightly colored tan or golden tentacles, with the center of the polyps being pale red-orange, and the coenosteum being yellow. It is similar to, yet a bit more delicate than, the slightly brighter Orange Sun Coral T. faulkneri, that has yellow polyps contrasted with bright orange centers and background… Read More

Bolobear, ‘Bo’ for short
"A tribute to Bolobear. The cutest ever!"
2010-05-05

Here’s what Mike Thorpe says about Bolobear, ‘Bo’ for short:

"I am sad to announce the passing of our sweet, sweet pet, Sir Bolobear. We have had him for over 18 years–in fact, we got him as a puppy in our first year of marriage. I have fond memories of playing hide and seek with him as a young pup, and carrying him around as he got older. He used to like to walk all over Reba’s paperwork as a pup when she tried to do grades. I remember Dr. Jungle himself wondering if Bolobear “liked kiwi fruit,” as though he were something of an Ewok. He probably would have liked kiwi fruit if we actually fed him some, but we never did…I know for sure that he loved cantalope…his favorite food by far.

Bo was and still is the best dog in the whole wide world. He lives forever in our hearts and memories. Best wishes, Sir Bolobear…live on my good friend…

Mike, Reba & family "

Bullseye Mushroom or Tonga Blue
"Want to see he most beautiful mushroom coral in the whole ocean? Well, if that doesn’t make you look, how about just taking aim at my ‘bull’s eye’!"
1/15/2010

The Bullseye Mushroom is extraordinarily beautiful in its blue and purple colors,

this popular color form is also known as the Tonga Blue Mushroom!

The beauty of the Bullseye Mushroom or Tonga Blue Mushroom makes it one of the most striking of the Elephant Ear Corals. It has a very colorful appearance, with tentacles that are more like clusters than individual single tentacles.

The various colors within their body include purple, with green margins and highlights as well as multicolored green, red, and blue with some having a red mouth. These contrasting colors are found in the tentacles, tentacle tips, mouth and body color. The area around the oral disc is bare, thus making it an easy species to identify… Read More

White-Spotted Rose Anemone
"Personally, I think I’m just about the most beautiful anemone in the sea! And that’s why they call me a Rose!"
10/24/2009

The beautiful White-Spotted Rose Anemone is truly a ‘flower of the sea’!

The White-spotted Rose Anemone, also known as the Strawberry Anemone, is very handsome. It is a colorful anemone with a distinct red pedal column decorated with many white dots. Its unique and attractive coloring also makes it one of the easiest of the sea anemones to identify. A couple other common names it is know by are the White-Spotted Anemone and the Tealia Anemone.

The White-spotted Rose Anemone is generally found alone or in small groupings. They attach to shaded rocks along rocky sand covered shore lines and in tide pools. Like all anemones, they are carnivorous, feasting on sea urchins, small fish, crabs, and mussels that happen by… Read More

Finger Staghorn Coral
Acropora humilis
"Ever seen a branch made up of fingers? Well that’s me, all digits!"
1/26/2010

A primary reef-building coral, the Staghorn Coral holds the most important job in the

Western Atlantic reefs!

Although the Acropora genus has close to 400 nominal species, only three are found in the Atlantic Ocean. The Staghorn Coral Acropora cervicornis is one of these. They are dominant, of the two species of Caribbean Acroporas.

The Staghorn Coral offers a variance on shape and structure in the Acropora genus. With branches that are more loosely spaced, they have a more “laid back” look to them. This is a big plus with Acros because they need that good water flow between their branches to stay healthy. This in turn makes it easier to care for, with less worry about debris build up… Read More

Saddle Anemone
"Some of the most colorful, and BIG anemones are carpet anemones like this Saddle’!"
11/15/2009

The Saddle Anemone has spectacular colors, and is associated with 7 different

clownfish species!

The Saddle Anemone or Carpet Anemone is one of the most colorful of the clown-hosting anemones. A magnificent animal, it makes a gorgeous centerpiece in a saltwater aquarium. It will require a large aquarium, however, as these anemones are can get big. They can be colored a bright green, reddish orange, gray, light green or even striped. Their tentacles are so numerous on the surface of the oral disc, it gives the anemone a “plush carpet” appearance, thus the name Carpet Anemone… Read More

Branching Flowerpot Coral
Alveopora Sp.
"Do you like to pick Daisies? Better yet… how about a perfect flower bouquet centerpeice in an aquarium!"
6/22/2010

A beautiful Flowerpot Coral is a tribute to the expert aquarist that can successfully keep it!

The Flowerpot Coral Goniopora stokesi has a very attractive and distinct appearance. They are hemispherical or grow in short thick columns. Their stalks are topped with a fringe of 24 polyps of mixed sizes surrounding the center, or mouth area. They look much like a cluster of potted flowers. The colors the Flowerpot Corals come in are generally green or brown, and at times have lighter polyp tips.

The G. stokesi extend their polyps during the day, yet are partially retracted at night. An interesting fact is that their nervous system is very intricate. If you touch one side of these corals, it sends impulses to the rest of the coral, and the other parts will pull in their tentacles! Read More

Pink-Tipped Anemone
"Lookin’ pretty in pink! This cool water Condy anemone is such a pleasure to behold, it is often called the Passionflower!"
11/04/2009

The Pink-Tipped Anemone is a lot like its cousin, the Giant Golden Anemone,

except the Pink Tip likes its water cool!

The Pink-Tipped Anemone Condylactis passiflora is almost a temperate anemone. It enjoys cooler temperatures of 68 ° – 75 ° F (20 ° – 24 ° C), so a chiller is a must to keep it in reef tanks in warmer climates. This attractive Florida Condylactis Anemone is more pink in hue than its cousin the Giant Golden Anemone C. gigantea, and does not require as much feeding due to the cooler water.

With their range extending from Brazil to Bermuda in the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Condylactis Anemones are known as the Atlantic Anemone, the Haitian Reef Anemone, and the Caribbean Anemone. Like the Golden Giant Anemone, the Pink-Tipped Anemone’s range also extends into the Caribbean and down to Brazil… Read More