Splitting BTA ??

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What does a BTA look like right before/as it splits? I have been feeding mine a variety of foods, hoping that it would split, and I think it might be.

 

[Carpentersreef]

The claw,
You can tell because it starts "squinting" real hard!

Seriously,
My BTA's have always split via asexual longitudinal fission. In Sprung and Delbeeks vol. 2, it covers anemone reproduction, and I recommend you read it.
From appearance only, you can usually tell by observing that the anemones' tentacles seem to have two centers that they surround, even thought the anemone has not yet split. The pedal, or foot, if you prefer, will also start to divide in two. I've had the anemone split sometimes as fast as overnight, while others have taken a couple of weeks.

HTH,
Mitch

 

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Thanks

 

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Do they ever split at the mouth?? I might be crazy, but I swear that that is what mine is doing.

 

[Carpentersreef]

yep

 

[Mac1]

I've been tricked into thinking my BTA was splitting, but it's never actually split, when I thought it was going to (and mind you, I've had 5 babies with this thing...) It happens every spring, one year, I got a 3-for-1 split. Everytime it happened, it's happened overnight, and there was no noticeable warning the night before. It usually takes them a few days to heal over, and completely separate. What I've noticed is, the creature will separate, and then stay very close together, touching, for several days until they can heal over, and then one usually moves away from where the original one was.
Best of luck with the anemone, I hope it splits for you. I've noticed over the years, that generally they tend to go in the Spring, and also some split in the fall. The Message boards and Mail-list's all get hit with "My anemone just split" messages around the same time every year. It seems more prevelant in the Spring, but I've noticed a trend to have a few go in the fall as well.

- Mac

 

[Anonymous]

Keep a close eye on the foot. You can usually see that oposite ends of the foot are walking in oposite directions. The oral disk will usually hold on at oposite ends as well.

Good luck,