Is this a new Anemone?

Dolfan-Mike · Sep 4, 2020

I've had this one bubble tip anemone that I got from a fellow reefer for at least 15+ months in my 90g mostly soft coral reef tank. The nem has done very well growing from about 2" to now it will expand to over 8-9". In the past day or so the nem has retreated back into the rock area bit but still looks healthy just not expanded. But what is interesting is on this rock just below where the nem has been living for over a year I now have this small creature? I know that typically a nem will split for reproduction but I have to wonder if this is some method of reproduction from the nem. There is nothing else like this anywhere near this area.

Anyone have any thoughts on what I've got here?

Dolfan-Mike · Sep 4, 2020

Got a better picture today.

Coralsdaily · Sep 19, 2020

have you had an update on this? looks like no one replied. But I can confirm that whenever my bubble tip anemone goes through asexual reproduction it would shrink for a couple days, and then voila I'd have two!

Dolfan-Mike · Sep 19, 2020

No I think I figured it out. My nitrates got a bit high and above this area, I have a frogspawn that started to drop pieces. Did a bunch of quick water changes to get things back in order.

Thanks for the reply, I was surprised I got no feedback at all.

On a side note, I have no idea why my anemone has not divided, it's gotten so big I just figure it would have divided by now????

Coralsdaily · Sep 19, 2020

I don't know the exact science in anemone division. But I've known that they seems to make a split when under some stress. My anemone got really big and made a split without any outside stimuli. The same pair of gen 2 (if we can even call them that) was then placed in two baskets on opposite corners of the tank. I feed both rigurously and ironically the one under lower lighting end split first, while the other just keeps gaining size without slitting.