Gigantea VS Mertensii Carpets

[OrionN]

A friend send me this Gigantea. After have him settle and healthy in my tank, I notice that this central tentacles are 3-4 times the length of the peripheral tentacles. Here are two pictures that clearly show this.
The anemone is clearly a Gigantea, not Mertensii. Just thought I post this as an interesting observation.

 

[Hot2na]

I have one where the central tentacles are so long - it looks like an LT inside of a gig ..Sorry to disappoint you = Its still a gig !!!

 

[OrionN]

No disappointment here. I know it is 100% Gigantea. Just interesting observation.

 

[billysprout]

very cool! my purple is the opposite, very stubby tentacles around the mouth because my porcelain crabs got hungry...

 

[Seancj]

That's a beautiful gig OrionN! I wish I had your luck with obtaining healthy gigantea! Someone please send me one!!!!! :)

 

[Seancj]

I have one where the central tentacles are so long - it looks like an LT inside of a gig ..Sorry to disappoint you = Its still a gig !!!

Can you share pics of your gig with the extra long interior tentacles, please?

 

[Hot2na]

its on here somewhere look around....

 

[Hot2na]

happy Now ?

Can you share pics of your gig with the extra long interior tentacles, please?

 

[Seancj]

happy Now ?

Beautiful! I really love that color! Thank you for sharing that video!

 

[D-Nak]

One of my gigs has longer interior tentacles as well, but it's definitely not pronounced. I never noticed until you pointed it out, @OrionN.

 

[OrionN]

Here is one of my Gigantea. The central tentacles are obviously much longer than the peripheral tentacles. However, with a lot of flow and light, the tentacles are so long that we don't notice it unless we look for it.
Really different from @Hot2na, my experiences indicated that they do a lot better with higher flow than what a lot of reefers, include Hot2na keep them under.

 

[OrionN]

My Gigantea from change from June 2024 to Feb 2025 under high flow and high light. Barely 7=8 months from 2 inches to about 8 inches. Not a great deal of feeding either
June 2024

Today 2/14/2025

 

[Seancj]

My Gigantea from change from June 2024 to Feb 2025 under high flow and high light. Barely 7=8 months from 2 inches to about 8 inches. Not a great deal of feeding either
June 2024

Today 2/14/2025

Gorgeous!

 

[Hot2na]

Really different from @Hot2na, my experiences indicated that they do a lot better with higher flow than what a lot of reefers, include Hot2na keep them under.

All mine are thriving , Skippy .. and alot more pleasing to look at -than that green one in your video that is getting pounded by a ridiculous amt of flow.
I'm pretty sure if you cut that flow in half that green gig would look just as good -if not better -with even more tentacle extension..
and that one above in my video was 9" when I first got it - now it is 16" in dia .. Flow - Schmo !