Corynactis sp? Friend or foe?

[dogstar74]

Here's a little hitchhiker anemone I have on some liverock that I have purchased. I know it isn't aiptasia. THis has bulbs on the ends of the stalk. It's appx 1-1.5 inches in diameter. It shys away from the light. Has brilliant greenish tint to the tenticles. As you can see.



Question 1:
Is this Corynactis species. If not can you identify the species.

Question 2.
Of course, should I worry?

I don't want to nuke the thing. But I had such a bad bout of aiptasia, I had to tear a whole tank down. I just dont wanna do it again. But I'm quite convinced this is not an aiptasia.
I suspect from the look of those tenticles, they pack quite a sting with them. But as far as I know nothing's been bothered by it.
It shys away from the light. And yet it's grown without me feeding it.
I cannot get a better pic, as it recedes behind the rock.

Here's pic of a real Corynactis anemone from the web. Sorry I don't know the author.



Any help here would be appreciated. Oh and he's been in the tank for over a year without seeing much in the way of spreading nuisance anemones all over the place.

Cheers!
Aaron

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

It doesn't look anything like the second picture. Looks like a huge hydroid to me..you know the little star things you'll see on the glass. What ever it is..its pretty cool looking. I agree with you its not aptasia.

[dogstar74]

Here's another version of the same thing. It does look a little more like this.

[Grins]

I have some like that on one of my rocks. The closest I could indentify it as was an orange ball anemone. Research said that those can get big and be troublesome but so far mine have stayed close to the size of a dime and very beautiful. Dark orange feet and not the green.

[SeaMac2]

Could certainly be corynactis or pseudocorynactis (search for orange or white ball anemone). Definitely not a hydroid.

Chris

[dogstar74]

I didn't think they were a hydroid. Those are tons smaller usually. I do think this is a jewel anemone. Corynactis. And Grins, I would believe your's are too.

I think Steve West had a cold water tank full of strawberry anemonies. Thus I don't believe they are harmful. And I'm pretty sure they stay small. So I don't think that they'll harm anything that is big enough to escape the nematocysts.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

I wasn't saying it is a hydroid, I just thought it looked like one, even though clearly its not, because they don't get that big. Just wanted to say I think its pretty and to agree with you that its not aptasia.

[dc]

Originally posted by SeaMac2
Could certainly be corynactis or pseudocorynactis (search for orange or white ball anemone). Definitely not a hydroid.

Chris

This would be my guess as well. I've had some fairly large ones, if you count a nickel large.