Looks like a Paly, but is it? ID Please.

[finnerman]

This is a typical green protopaly. I know the classification has been done away with but for lack of a better name I will refer to them as protoplays as most people will recognize these. These are in my frag tank awaiting delivery to someone other than me as they spread like wildfire in my tank. I repeat these are not the organisms in question but the protopalys that they look very much like. Sorry for the image quality but I just wanted a quick snap for comparison.

 

[finnerman]

Are the polyps connected at the bottom like regular zoa root like webbing?

No. Each is totally separate as shown in the original image.

 

[finnerman]

They are probably a Palythoa sp.
The nomenclature changed... now the Protopalythoa sp. are called Palythoa sp.
I have many Palythoa spp. in my system and one in particular look just like those, but without those spots.
They can move on the rocks, but not as fast as you have described!
I think you're lucky!! Those are beautiful and should be kept in a small rock so they don't invade the whole system.
Give some frags to your friends to assure the species will be growing in other tanks too.
Very interesting!!
They don't look like anemones to me, but Palythoa.

More of those professional pictures, please?
Take some pics with white light too...
Aloha,
Grandis.

I can set up tomorrow to photograph under white lights. One interesting thing to note is that on all of the different palys that I have, the radial lines on the oral disk are continuous. Notice that the radial lines on the creatures in question are not continuous. Some start from the center and some start further out whereas all of the protopaly lines start in the center. I am not saying that these are not Palythoa sp, I just have serious doubts based on the evidence. I would love to have a true expert look at these.

 

[A. grandis]

OK, here is the only one left that landed in an area with bright lighting. I do not have a par reading for this spot but it is growing inches from a Tyree Setosa. It was dime size, to begin with, and has shrunk to pencil erasure size. This image does show the structure pretty well.

Could be a rare hybrid of a Palythoa sp. and an anemone.
Oh man... that is a weird looking Palythoa!
Very nice to me!!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

I can set up tomorrow to photograph under white lights. One interesting thing to note is that on all of the different palys that I have, the radial lines on the oral disk are continuous. Notice that the radial lines on the creatures in question are not continuous. Some start from the center and some start further out whereas all of the protopaly lines start in the center. I am not saying that these are not Palythoa sp, I just have serious doubts based on the evidence. I would love to have a true expert look at these.

They are probably a Palyhtoa sp. or a hybrid with an anemone.
Never saw those.
Love'em!
Grandis.

 

[finnerman]

My final pic for tonight is not that great as I shot it through an acrylic tray so that I could get a top down view. This is the two from the original post next to a dime/penny sized one. That is a medium sized Flordia Ricordia in the shot as well. This also shows the broken radial lines on the oral disk. These three have been in place for 9 months or so and have not multiplied or moved since I originally put the first "mother colony" in the tank. I counted and of the ten I originally had (after removing the mother colony) 7 are left, that I can find. 6 of those seven look healthy and the one pictured earlier is pale and small but still hanging in there.

 

[BoomCorals]

Is there substrate in their stalks? In other words is the skin rough? That's something that 99% of palys have and is a dead giveaway to identifying a paly.

 

[finnerman]

Is there substrate in their stalks? In other words is the skin rough? That's something that 99% of palys have and is a dead giveaway to identifying a paly.

Based on the look of all of the other Palys in my tank, I would say no. When photographing the other Palys, I can see the sand or substrate whereas with these I see no such thing. I have not felt these as they are small and I would likely damage them. I have felt what you are referring to in the other normal Palys. I have been researching this heavily and am more convinced than ever that this is an Anemone mimicking a paly. They just do not fit the Palythoa or Zoanthid description. There are other Anemones with flat oral discs and the ones with radial stripes also show the broken type patterns that these do.

 

[BoomCorals]

Based on the look of all of the other Palys in my tank, I would say no. When photographing the other Palys, I can see the sand or substrate whereas with these I see no such thing. I have not felt these as they are small and I would likely damage them. I have felt what you are referring to in the other normal Palys. I have been researching this heavily and am more convinced than ever that this is an Anemone mimicking a paly. They just do not fit the Palythoa or Zoanthid description. There are other Anemones with flat oral discs and the ones with radial stripes also show the broken type patterns that these do.

I would have to agree on your assessment. As fast as they move, smooth skin, I'm thinking anemone as well.

 

[finnerman]

So I received pictures from the lady who bought my old tank and got some of these in the exchange. Hers are doing much better than mine. She has higher Nitrates and phosphates than I do, which indicates that these are likely lagoonal creatures rather than reef. However, here is what hers now look like. Definitely, more anemone looking when they get bigger. She also indicated that she spot feeds hers where I do not. I think I will feed one more often to see what happens.

 

[A. grandis]

Yeah, no doubt now... they are true anemones, not Palythoa sp.
That's so interesting!!
Thanks for sharing.
Grandis.

 

[finnerman]

From Dr James Reimer;

Hi Adrian - yes, these are 100% Actiniaria - no questions at all anymore!

cheers,
J.

 

[A. grandis]

All done!
Thanks, Dr. Reimer!!!

Grandis.

 

[trevormass7]

How much would you sell one of those for?

 

[finnerman]

How much would you sell one of those for?

THe only one I have that is on a loose rock is one that is on the base of a Highlighter Acro. Where are you located?

 

[trevormass7]

75750

 

[stevo01]

Yeah ive never seen this type of nem. Def nem because it swam. People should not be so eager to want these until more is known. Looks like a nem/paly hybrid.

 

[finnerman]

THe only one I have that is on a loose rock is one that is on the base of a Highlighter Acro. Where are you located?

I can only speak from my experience but so far these have been quite benign in my system which I would consider a low nutrient system. They have maintained and seem happy but the ones in my old system that is now owned by someone else, they are prospering but certainly not being a nuisance. Her system is running much higher PO4 and NO3 than mine so I would conclude that these guys are likely lagoonal. If there is something about them that is unlikable, neither of us have experienced it yet. But tomorrow, they could spawn and we could both have thousands to sell. I really them so far and would take them over the Palys that they look like (at least while they are small) any day. I like Palys but do not like the way they spread so fast. These would fill that niche lookswise but without the issues, so far as I can tell from 9 months of ownership.

 

[trevormass7]

Yeah ive never seen this type of nem. Def nem because it swam. People should not be so eager to want these until more is known. Looks like a nem/paly hybrid.

I have multiple invasive species in my tank. I try to collect the things people don't want