Baby Haddon's Carpet Anemone
 

Here's a pic of what I think is a baby Haddon's Carpet Anemone. It was about 1 inch in diameter when I got it, now its about 1.5 inches after a couple months. Its in a 20 gallon tank, so it will have to move eventually. It eats tiny pieces of scallop every three days, and I have to pre-feed the crabs so that they do not steal from it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tr...Q=w848-h636-no

that would be cool but...

its a Ricordia Florida. :mrgreen:

was it a hitchhiker?

I agree. That's a Ricordia florida mushroom, not an anemone.

Negatory, definitely an anemone though they are quite similar looking if they can't be seen side-by-side. I have a ricordea florida and side-by-side they are quite different: the anemone actively grabs food while the ricordea does not, the nem's tentacles are much bigger, the ricordea hates bright light and the nem loves it. Here is a pic of the nem and the ricordea side by side at the same camera magnification and distance from the camera.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xA...c=w845-h636-no

Yes it was a hitchhiker - in one of the LFS's anemone orders. I snagged it for 10 bucks. :mrgreen:

The one on the right is an anemone
The one on the left is a Ricordia Florida.

@Ryan

Looking at pics of the mouth on the blue one, you are probably right: ricordea florida. What kind of anemone do you think the red one is? The tentacles are very tiny and tight packed, and the animal is quite small - only the size of a loonie and doesn't seem to be getting any bigger. Maxi mini?

I thought maxi mini as well but they seem to have Ray's of tenticles and it's tough to tell if yours does.

About 10 years ago I purchased a zoanthid rock that had what I thought was a mushroom in the middle. The mushroom never split and I was going to try cutting it. When I touched the mushroom it was super sticky like a carpet anemone. I never found out what it was but looked just like yours other than mine was green. I am sure there are lots of species of small carpet anemones we aren't aware of.

Thanks for the info!

great find on the ric! $10 cant go wrong!!!