The Chopstick Test for Aiptaisa

[jrobbins]

I noticed the other day that there were a few small polyps
starting to grow on a rock that is about as inaccessible as possible.

It is almost impossible to get a picture of them, but they are small
brownish polyps that look quite a bit like baby palys or maybe zoas.
they could also look like some baby rock anemones...

II can't get a close look without tearing apart my rock work, so
i came up with a little test that i just wanted to run by you guys.

To make a long story short, i kind of poked one of them with the end
of a chopstick (the only thing i had that would fit in between the
rocks) to see what they would do.

The theory here is that rock anemones will retreat into a crevice in a
rock, and zoas or palys will just curl up the skirt, but the stalk
will not retract into a hole. anyway, the mystery polyp in question
curled up its skirt, rather than retreat into a rock, indicating that
is most likely is not a pest anemone (at least according to my highly
unscientific test).

so what do you guys (and girls) think? is this sufficient, or should i pull apart the rock work to get a closer look?

 

[Davidl919]

It could be majano anemone which to me is just as bad as aiptasia and depending on where it pops out of you would not be able to see it's stalk like between a deep bed of zoa's.. In theory though you do have a nice idea.

 

[midtownman]

let's hope its a zoa :splitspin

 

[jrobbins]

thanks midtown. just to be clear though, a majano would still retract, rather than curl in its tentacles/skirt, if disturbed?

ie. there is no way a majano's response to this test would be similar to a zoas?

 

[junglebase]

Jon, majanos will not retract like apstasias, they will curl up like zoos in my opinion...best if you can find a link to what they look like or put up a picture...

 

[jrobbins]

i would if i could. but, when i say they are deep behind the rockwork i mean i can only see it by looking down through the water, and even then, i can only see a small/obscured portion of it, as it is right under the centerbrace glass (of course), and deep down in the back.

to actually remove the rock it is growing on, or get a good look at it, will require tearing down the whole aquascape, and probably removing large chunks of rock from the water. hence the chopstick