Xenia with Legs

[DarwinTheDog]

I recently purchased a nice colony of pulsing xenia. Interestingly the xenia seems to be relocating itself in my tank. Originally, there were three connected stalks on one rock. All of these stalks have began migrating upwards (towards more light I would assume). The three stalks are now seperate, and moving at a pretty good pace (maybe 1-2 centimeters per week). I knew that anemones could move by cotraction of the pedal disk, but wasn't aware that xenia could move. Is this common???

 

[fishfarmer]

Oh yeah..particularly if it's a creeper like xenia elongata. I have some that I got to attach to the back glass. It practically climbed out of the tank. The upper stalks were actually DRYING out.

 

[monkeyboy]

Welcome to the world of xenia. They'll move across the rocks and periodically leave branches or bits of tissue that will turn into new colonies. In a few weeks you'll be pulling it off the kitchen table...

fishfarmer, thats really funny!

 

[Anonymous]

i also just got some xenia and am watching it move. i had it arranged nicely. now it is climbing up the PH that runs my skimmer.

now what do i do when i need to clean the PH?!?!
that xenia is crafty!~

[ August 27, 2001: Message edited by: moe_k ]

 

[hogan]

Oh now I got it just were I want it.

Or do I?

 

[DarwinTheDog]

How do xenia move? I guess specifically what is the mechanism or physiology behind their movement? I know anemones can contract the pedal disk to move, how does xenia do it??