RBTA Question - appearance

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by Ashevillian, May 31, 2014.

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  1. Ashevillian

    Ashevillian Pajama Cardinal

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    Getting close to acquiring my own RBTA - but I am wondering one main difference!!

    Why do I see so many pictures of RBTA's being small with fat bubble tips, sometimes accented with neon markings towards the center -- but when I goto LFS's or see them in other peoples tanks around town, they are massive, red glob bodies with long skinny swaying tentacles ..

    They are one in the same species right?
     
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  3. oldfishkeeper

    oldfishkeeper Giant Squid

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    that is correct :) noone seems to really know why some bubble at the tips and some don't. Sometimes you will have one that bubbles sometimes and not others. I have my own theory on it lol but I'm sure it couldn't stand up to validation scientifically :)
     
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  4. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    They are indeed one and same, Entacmaea quadricolor.

    Julian Sprung The Reef Tank volume II: In general we have seen a correlation between illumination and the development of the bubble tips: Those receiving the most intense illumination are shorter and often bubble tipped. Those receiving less illumination are longer and stringy. pg. 380
    Julian Sprung also goes on to mention "hunger vs satisfied" as a possible contributor, and then narrows it down " the presence of fish and their excreted wastes, or via photosynthetically produced food under intense illumination"
    .

    I have had clones of the same anemone side by side in a tank under identical conditions, except those variables of location as it relates to flow and lighting. One clone with bubble tips and the other clone an inch away without bubble tips.
     
  5. Ashevillian

    Ashevillian Pajama Cardinal

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    Very interesting! Thanks for pulling out the textbook for me! I always find it hard to find good marine textbooks when I go to the book store.. The tank I saw recently was under t5's and the rbta's had taken over everything except a basketball size patch of euphyllia spp. Looking forward to getting one of these, but the more I read the more I fear it will overrun my entire tank down the line... Not a big deal if it does, I am going to put it in a 40b ssb with my biocube attached as a macro fuge.. really excited for this build

    Thanks again for the clarifying comments!
     
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  6. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    Oh you're welcome.

    It's better IMO to get an anemone with good coloration than one with so so coloration and bubble tips. I have seen starving anemones that have re- absorbed their tentacles down to little nubs in an effort to stay alive with bubble tips.
     
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  7. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    FWIW, It's not really known why Entamacea quadricolor is considered the "bubble-tip" anemone; it's a rare occurrence in the wild, and they're not the only species that have displayed bubbled tentacles under intense artificial lighting. :)
     
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: rbta, anemone