Anemone lost tentacle

looked in my tank this morning to see one of my anemone's tentacles laying in the sand. after looking at it closer, it looks like it is attached to a micro anemone. I watched it for a while and the micro nem detatched itself from the tentacle, with a little help from a hermit crab. the tentacle floated behind the rock somewhere so I can not find it or get it out. I am wondering if this is a way anemones reproduce. right now the micro anemone(if that is what it is) is way too small for a good pic, but it is close to the front of tank so I can see it and hopefully watch it grow.

 

so this is the big anemone that lost its tentacle. tried to get a pic of micro, but it is just too small. I placed it in an empty shell in hope that it doesn't get lost in the current. the second pic is the shell the micro is in.

 

no thoughts on this? is this how an anemone sends out a bud?

 

Normally anemones split to reproduce. It is possible especially if it looks like a mini anemone.

 

they usually split. never heard of them budding.

 

that's what I thought also. it does look like a mini anemone, I wish I could get a good pic of it. I think I have it where it will not get lost in the flow so I should be able to keep tabs on it. Just kind of curious if anyone else has seen something like this. I think I read somewhere that they can also bud, but I'm not sure on that. and if so I would think the bud would come more from the base, like a mushroom.

 

I would think so also.

 

well this is the best pic I can get. Its still a little blurry. I think if you click on it you can get a full size shot. you can compare the size of this with the sand in the pic. I would guess it is 1/4 inch at the most and it does not look like aptasia, unfortunately I know all too well what that looks like.

 

thats incredible!!! never heard of it budding!

 

still too small to tell, hopefully it doesn't get lost in my tank so I can keep an eye on it.