Get some laughs with this seriously funny care sheet on the Aiptasia Glass Anemones!
Often called flowers of the sea, they are quite varied and beautiful, but are actually animals!
Unit conversion calculator for aquariums: How many gallons are in your aquarium, how many drops in a teaspoon, whats the difference between a US gallon and a UK gallon, not to mention liters?
Pictures from a coral frag conference! Live coral frags and topics on Nano Reef Aquariums and large reef aquariums, taking care of a reef and coral propagatio
Aquarium Cycling Guide: starting up a new aquarium the right way
Diagnose illness, chart symptoms, suggested medications
What to feed tropical fish fry, livebearers and egglayers
Glossary of aquatic science terms used in ichthyology and aquarium circles for freshwater and marine animals, corals and plants
Mini reef aquarium guide. Reef aquarium setup for large reef tanks, Nano reef tanks, Pico reef or MIcro reef aquariums with reef tank lighting, filtration, choosing coral reef animals, and problem solving!
Setting up a Saltwater Aquarium. Guide to marine supplies, putting the aquarium together, cycling the aquarium water and adding fish!
Aiptasia grow like weeds, take over the reef tank, and are very hard to control! A variety of approaches include chemical controls to using sea anemone predators.
Aiptaisa means beautiful, and they can be... but they can be also reek havoc on reef tanks! Meet the Aiptasia sea anemone species and discover the pros and cons of Aiptasia in captivity
Sea anemone facts about the 10 types of anemones that host clownfish, the ones that are hardy aquarium anemones, and a buy sea anemone checklist!
Urticina means nettle, a stinging plant. Like all sea anemones they do have a sting, but the Urticina cold water sea anemones have much more... being very beautiful they are known as flowers of the sea!
Sea anemone facts about tube dwelling anemones, a different animal than the true anemones!
Pink-Tipped Anemone
Condy Anemone
Curlique Anemone
Painted Anemone
White-Spotted Rose Anemone
Beaded Sea Anemone
| ||||||
Heteractis auroraPhoto Wiki Commons, courtesy Nick The pretty Beaded Sea Anemone Heteractis aurora is easy to identify because of its unique 'beaded' tentacles. The tentacles have white spots that enlarge into bead-like swellings. There can be individual bulges or they can coalesce into designs. Often these swellings run the entire length of the tentacle, giving it a 'string of beads' look. Sometimes the bulges will surround the tentacle giving them a banded look.
The Beaded Sea Anemone is usually a gray-green to chestnut-brown overall. It is rather subdued compared to the more brilliantly colored clown hosting anemones, but the decorative appearance of the tentacles give it quite an ornamental look. There are a couple other anemones species that also develop beading patterns. One of these is the juvenile Condylactis Anemones Condylactis gigantea. Others are the Frilly Anemones Phymanthus sp., which are smaller and don't host clownfish.
This anemone has been found as host to 7 different species of clownfish as well as the Domino Damselfish Dascyllus trimaculatus. It is the favorite anemone of Clark's Clownfish Amphiprion clarkii. It is also known as a 'nursery' anemone because in nature it is often a temporary home for young clownfish on their journey to find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood.
The Beaded Sea Anemone is beautiful and relatively hardy when provided the right environment, making it a favorite among aquarists. In the wild, they live in shallow waters only 3 to 16 feet deep, and although they are found in crevices on reefs, they are more often found on sand. If this anemone feels threatened it will totally disappear into the sand. Provide it with a thick sand bed and good illumination, and it will definitely be a topic of conversation and will reward its owner with a long life.
|
Beaded Sea Anemone, Heteractis aurora Report Broken Video Wild specimen with clownfish family! This anemone has been referred to as the nursery anemone and it is easy to see why in this video. The Beaded Sea Anemone will host the parents and several juveniles at the same time. They have typical needs as other anemones, which is a mature tank, strong lighting, high water quality and lots of food! Since they like to burrow in the sand, keep an eye out for bristle worms, since they have been known to annoy and chew at this genus of anemones. |
Habitat: Distribution / Background
The Beaded Sea Anemone Heteractis aurora was described by Quoy and Gaimard in 1833. The Heteractis genus is a member of the Actiniidae family and contains 4 species. The Beaded Anemone is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean from the Red sea and east to Japan in the north and Mauritius to the south. This species is not on the IUCN Red List for endangered species. Some other common names they are known by are Sand Anemone, Beaded Anemone, Aurora Anemone, Flat Anemone, Glasspearl Anemone, Red Bottom Anemone, and Beaded Sand Anemone.
Beaded Sea Anemones are found at depths of 3 to 16 feet (1-5 m). They occur singly in rocky crevices on reef terraces and on sandy bottom. They are usually found with clownfish that forms a symbiotic relationship for the protection and nourishment of both animals. They use their venomous cells or nematocyst found in their tentacles to sting and capture small fish and invertebrates. They also use them to sting and deflect any possible threats or attacks.
Some predators can be other anemones, nudibranchs, sea stars and some angelfish. Bristle worms have been known to irritate and chew at Heteractis Anemones. Some predators can be other anemones, nudibranchs, sea stars and some angelfish. Bristle worms have been known to irritate and chew on Heteractis Anemones.
The Beaded Sea Anemone can reach up to 10" (25 cm) in diameter, but they average around 3 to 4” (7.5 - 10 cm). It is unknown how long they live. Some anemones can be hundreds of years old in the wild, and in captivity some have been known to last 80 years or more.
The Beaded Sea Anemone is gray-green to chestnut-brown overall, depending on the concentration of its symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae. The sticky foot at the base of the pedal column is used to adhere to various surfaces. They also use the "foot" to move around if conditions are not ideal. The column is usually a pale orange or golden-yellow, becoming lighter towards the disc. The pedal column also has verrucae, which are small bulges that contain stinging cells.
The beautiful tentacles have white spots that enlarge into bead-like swellings. There can be individual bulges or they can coalesce into designs. Often these swelling run the entire length of the tentacle, giving it a 'string of beads' look. Sometimes the bulges will surround the tentacle giving them a banded look. The tentacles are 4 to 6 cm long and can be brown, tan, various shades of green, cream, and purple with white markings. In captivity, for some unknown reason, their color tends to disappear.
The tentacles are relatively sparse, so much of the oral disc is exposed. The disc often has white radiating lines. The mouth is in the center. It should be closed and tight, and will open when hungry, having an oval look. A gaping mouth is a warning signal. The H. aurora takes food in and expel waste through this same opening.
The Beaded Sea Anemone is relatively hardy when provided the right environment. They do have high lighting needs and must have a thick sand bed to bury their foot in. If this anemone feels threatened, it will totally disappear into the sand. Putting an anemone in a new tank can result in failure. The tank should be at least 8 to 12 months old and stable before adding your new H. aurora.
When choosing your Beaded Sea Anemone, make sure the color is good, their mouth is not gaping open, and their foot and tentacles are sticky to the touch. They should also be attached to something. Make sure there is no damage to the foot area, as this is often a result of pulling the anemone off its surface.
To transfer an H. aurora anemone from another aquarium, use a hair dryer. Blow at the foot of the anemone from the outside of the tank and the heat will make it pull away. If it's attached to a rock, ideally you can simply purchase the rock as well. if you cannot purchase the rock, use ice cubes in a zip lock bag and gently rub all around the foot until it releases. This may take a few minutes, but it is the most reliable way of getting the anemone to release. Don't allow the fresh water of the ice cubes to touch the foot directly as this can cause tissue damage. H. aurora can perish from any type of tissue damage.
The Beaded Sea Anemone is a carnivore, but these anemones are well equipped with nutritional alternatives for their well-being. They derive daily nutrition from their symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, that dwells within their tissues. They also use their venomous cells or nematocyst found in their tentacles to sting and capture prey. They absorb nutrients the water around them and they consume wastes from resident animals like clownfish. It is not necessary for them to be fed by Clownfish they host, though clowns will often carry chunks of food to the anemone.
In captivity you can feed your H. aurora a mix of chopped fresh shrimp, fish and mussel from your grocery store. This variety is very good for these anemones, as they seem to derive their different dietary needs from these meats. Large anemones need food daily, medium sized anemones need to be fed 5 times a week, and the young or smaller ones need to be fed 2 to 4 times a week. The old adage that anemones should be fed once a month is false and has lead to many deaths.
Clownfish hosted with your anemone usually will not be able to sufficiently feed both themselves, and their anemone, with the small quantity of food that is put in a captive environment. You will need to target feed this anemone. You can offer your clowns a piece of fish flesh and they will usually snatch it out of your hand and often give it to their host. However, not all clowns are this smart, so don't depend on the clown fish to feed the anemone.
Water changes of 10% bi-monthly or 20% a month are typical. Monitor your water quality for your particular situation and adjust your water changes accordingly. Keeping salinity stable with a top off mechanism is highly recommended. Waste production created by your anemone can be calculated in inches. Basically, every inch of anemone is equal to an inch of fish, so an average-sized Beaded Sea Anemone of 3 to 4” produces a bio-load equivalent to that of 2 or 3 small fish.
Purigen and Poly-fiber are great products to help in maintaining water quality. Purigen is a synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at an exceptionally high rate and capacity, helping to control ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Poly-fiber can be cut and used in sumps, etc. A good protein skimmer is a must.
Although anemones are not as dependent on calcium as stony corals, magnesium and calcium are still needed to keep the pH and alkalinity stable and within the correct parameters. Additions of trace elements are suggested. Phosphates should be kept around 0.03 or less. Control phosphates with products such as Phosban and the Phosban reactor.
A typical live rock/reef environment is best for the Beaded Sea Anemone, with a deep sand substrate for it to settle into. A mature 75-gallon tank that is at least 9 to 12 months old, with stable parameters, will help to increase the successful life span of H. aurora . They are not suited for small nano tanks, since it is hard to keep water quality high and due to their ultimate size.
Provide a 4 to 8” sand bed for the Beaded Sea Anemone to bury its foot into. In the wild, it will attach to a hard surface through the sand, so bury a rock under this substrate. Once it is secured and settled, if it is happy it will stay put. If it isn't happy and is moving around, be sure to check your checking your lighting and water quality. Also, make sure you are feeding it adequately.
They need strong lighting and moderate water flow. Use a good quality protein skimmer to help with your anemone's waste. With all anemones, its a good rule of thumb to have all of your pumps covered, most good quality pumps have guards on them.
All anemones are semi-aggressive because they can be mobile, although a contented Anemone will stay put once it has found a place to settle. It has often been suggested to not put anemones in a reef environment since corals cannot move away from the stinging tentacles. Once you get your anemone situated and it has not moved for several months, it might be safe to add other corals. Keep this in mind when stocking sessile invertebrates. Some predators can be other anemones, nudibranchs, sea stars and some angelfish. Bristle worms have been known to irritate and chew on these anemones.
Beaded Sea Anemones need to be at least 2 to 3 feet away from each other In the aquarium. Anemones need to have their own space, otherwise there can be a “chemical” warfare between species. This will usually cause one to not eat, shrink and eventually die. After splitting, anemones will tolerate their own “clones,” and sometimes their own species. Having excellent filtration and a large tank (over 200 gallons) will usually allow 2 anemones at opposite ends to thrive. You can also build a natural blockade to help prevent them from wandering into each others "space". Get both anemones when young and let them grow together.
In nature, the Beaded Sea Anemone has been found as host to 7 Amphiprion species of clownfish:
If you want your anemone to host clownfish, be sure the anemone is 3 to 4 times larger in diameter than the length of the clownfish you introduce, or it will be 'loved' to death. A 4 to 6” anemone with clowns that are introduced at a young age of 1 to 1.5” will work out well. It is best to buy the anemone first and give it a few months to acclimate and grow before adding clowns. Not all clowns take to all H. aurora.
No sexual difference in appearance is known.
The Beaded Sea Anemone H. aurora typically does not breed in captivity. Anemones in general can multiply by sexual and asexual means. One way is using fission, which is when they actually split in half from the foot or mouth to form a clone, although the clone is its own animal, similar to twins. They will also reproduce using male and female sex glands or find another anemone of the opposite sex. This results in the production of ciliated planula larvae. This planula will eventually fall to the sea floor, develop a pedal disk, then begin to grow into a new anemone.
Beaded Sea Anemones are usually hardy and problems are pretty minimal if they are provided with an adequate environment and fed regularly. Once they survive shipping, have settled in and are eating, your anemone will be fine as long as your water parameters are stable. If your lighting, water movement, feeding and water quality are low, then your anemone will detach to look for "better conditions."
In general, if your anemone moves, it is not happy. With any change in shape, color, or other indications that there is a problem, you need to check your lighting and water quality. Some predators can be other anemones, nudibranchs, sea stars and some angelfish. Bristle worms also have been known to irritate and chew on H. aurora.
The Beaded Sea Anemone or Sand Anemone H. aurora is easy to find in stores and online. They are reasonable to moderately expensive depending on size, color and species.
 |
 
|
|||||
