hypostatic Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 So I've seen some fair love for these animals on the forum, but I don't think I've seen anyone say they've successfully bred them in their tanks. It seems these guys reproduce sexually, and each anemone is only one sex. I came across this page where an aquarium successfully bred them, and I though I'd share. Seems like all you need is multiple anemones and enough food, and the anemones will do the rest. http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2012/08/27/ugly-duckling-anemones-in-a-new-light/ baby rock flower anemones: EDIT: Here's some more information of their reprodution, taken from member Mirya's thread, http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/342744-rock-flower-anemone-information-and-appreciation-thread/ Reproduction: P. crucifer at Coral Morphologic releasing sperm. For the full video go to http://coralmorpholo...1/anemone-spawn P. crucifer reproduces sexually. No confirmed reports of asexual reproduction of P. crucifer by fragging have been identified, but if anyone has a documented example, please post it. Most temperate sea anemones that reproduce sexually have an annual cycle influenced by various factors such as water temperature, sunlight intensity, lunar cycle or food availability. In Brian Jennison’s study of P. crucifer, he found a low level of gametogenesis throughout the year, with a significant increase in the spring. Dick Perrin comments in his article on captive breeding of P. crucifer that collectors of wild specimens off the Florida coast see an increase in juvenile anemones in the spring and fall, suggesting a biannual pattern. Left: Two newborn P. crucifer anemones attached to Valonia sp. bubble algae at the base of their mother anemone at Coral Morphologic. Right: Colorful juvenile P. crucifer captive bred at Tropicorium. P. crucifer is dioecious and exhibits a sex ratio of 1:1. Males release sperm into the water column. Coral Morphologic reports they have always witnessed spawning in the evening, between 5-6 PM. Fertilization occurs internally in the female. The female broods the young internally, up to the 6, 12, or 24 tentacle stages of development. When the young are released, they tend to settle around the disk of the female. The young will accept feeding with items such as, brine shrimp naupulii, rotifers, Cyclop-Eeze, and phytoplankton. Newly released young are colorless; color development occurs within a few weeks. Captive bred P. crucifer offspring surrounding an adult at Tropicorium. 9 Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Oh, here's a link to another aquarist who has bred some RFAs in his/her tank: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=90348 2 Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Aaaaand, here's a video I found of one spawning: (you might not want to click on the link if you're younger than 18. I don't know how laws apply to anemone sex and minors) 5 Quote Link to comment
ZeroEvoX Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 That's Awesome! I think im going to get one of these bad boys for my new build. Quote Link to comment
gena Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Fantastic links! Thanks for sharing those. I bookmarked both. Now I know what to look for size-wise and appearance-wise on baby rock flowers. I have 9 adults/teens now. Waiting on a spawning event . This makes me want to set up an exclusive rock flower anemone tank. I DO have an empty 10g...hmmmm . 2 Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 nice, assuming the sex ratio is divided equally, there's like a 99% chance that you have at least one pair. just keep up with the feedings! Quote Link to comment
gena Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 nice, assuming the sex ratio is divided equally, there's like a 99% chance that you have at least one pair. just keep up with the feedings!Yeah...this thread has actually inspired me to breed rock flower anemones. As soon as I see my first babies, new tank is going up for them . 1 Quote Link to comment
Acielot Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Any info about possible color outcomes? Do greens only give greens? Quote Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Anyone taking bets as to wether or not the livestock in the first link was illegally collected? Quote Link to comment
papaj10789 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 wow those colors in the second link are incredible. My RFA cost 15$ when I got it, not the most colorful variety but everything that I have seen recently and online is 50$+ for ones the size of quarters. Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Any info about possible color outcomes? Do greens only give greens? I was wondering the same thing -- and also whether one color represented a gender. The first link describes how the founding stock was made up of green and red nems, and that the F1 groups had colors that were unseen in the parents, including red/green combos 1 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Wow, awesome! I think when I get a few more nems, I will give it a shot. I love rock flowers! Quote Link to comment
evanski Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 If anyone is going to actually do this...please keep us posted. It would be fun to look at the colors/characteristics of the nems going in, then look at the prodigy and see if we can sort out the some of the genetics old school Gregor Mendel. I think 10+ nems in a 10G or maybe 3+ or so in a 2.5G might be a fun experiment based upon the link Hypo posted would be a good place to start. http://www.reef2rain...in-a-new-light/ Quote Link to comment
Kamao Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Will this work for mini maxi anemones as well? Does rock flower anemones release eggs? Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 From what I've seen, maxi-minis are usually propagated asexually. As in, someone usually just grabs some scissors or a scalpel and cuts them in two. I'm not sure what RFAs release. One of the links mentioned that the babies were found under the parent's skirt Will this work for mini maxi anemones as well? Does rock flower anemones release eggs? Quote Link to comment
Kamao Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 But maxis also release eggs and jizz. Seen it myself a couple of times. Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 But maxis also release eggs and jizz. Seen it myself a couple of times. hehehe. jizz. hehe Anyway, they probably also reproduce sexually (as many corals/anemones do), but this is longer and more complicated. I did a quick google search, and i didn't really find anyone breeding them, although propagation via division/fragging is common. Here's a video on it: Quote Link to comment
Kamao Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks, but ive already seen that. I thought maybe that it was as "easy" as with the RFA, but I guess im wrong. Good luck with the breeding. Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks, but ive already seen that. I thought maybe that it was as "easy" as with the RFA, but I guess im wrong. Good luck with the breeding. Sorry for the disappointment due to the lack of information. BUT, since you were so unhappy I decided to do a little more digging. I found these threads that seemed to be helpful in discerning more information: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2211170 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1724398 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1099122 http://www.reeflex.net/tiere/2920_Stichodactyla_tapetum.htm http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?topic=625.0 Some videos of spawning events (both eggs and sperm are released) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfHym7fvX3c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJmsyQC4oM0&NR=1 From what I can guess from those threads, maxi-minis reproduce sexually similar to other members of the Stichodactyla genus, where both eggs and sperm are released into the water column by the parents and are externally fertilized. After being fertilized the egg turns into a planula larva that needs to develop for some time before settling and becoming something that resembles an anemone. So basically, you would need a super dedicated tank for breeding them, and then many another tank or two for raising the larvae and the settled anemones. Quote Link to comment
zeke2020 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 thats awesome! thinking bout getting a couple of RFA's in my new build ..any cons on these lil guys that might make me shy away from them? Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 thats awesome! thinking bout getting a couple of RFA's in my new build ..any cons on these lil guys that might make me shy away from them? Eh, I haven't kept any myself, but I would imagine one might shy away from them for the same reasons they'd shy away from any other anemones -- they can move around and sting. Although, from what I've read, RFAs don't have a powerful sting like maxi-minis and carpets, and they tend to not move around much. Here's some pages I found with care info you should check out: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+499+1704&pcatid=1704 http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/277058-epicystis-crucifer-aka-rock-flower-anemones/ http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2111463 Quote Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I have 3 RFAs that stay where I put them, the other 3 have changed position up & down on the same rock, even crossing right over each other w/ no harm. They otherwise move very little. Very weak sting- I certainly can't feel it, I've heard the carpets are a different story. I've never had a RFA engulf any fish and my fish, tailspot, YCG, 6line, blue neon, are all small and they seem to all know to not perch in them. Though the tailspot and 6line will pull food away from the nem. 1 Quote Link to comment
hypostatic Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 I have 3 RFAs that stay where I put them, the other 3 have changed position up & down on the same rock, even crossing right over each other w/ no harm. They otherwise move very little. Very weak sting- I certainly can't feel it, I've heard the carpets are a different story. I've never had a RFA engulf any fish and my fish, tailspot, YCG, 6line, blue neon, are all small and they seem to all know to not perch in them. Though the tailspot and 6line will pull food away from the nem. I've heard that the maxi-minis' sting is so sting that people sometimes have reactions to them Quote Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I've heard that the maxi-minis' sting is so sting that people sometimes have reactions to them Yeah, I hear they're a different beast and are much more prone to close up around fish. Quote Link to comment
zeke2020 Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I have 3 RFAs that stay where I put them, the other 3 have changed position up & down on the same rock, even crossing right over each other w/ no harm. They otherwise move very little. Very weak sting- I certainly can't feel it, I've heard the carpets are a different story. I've never had a RFA engulf any fish and my fish, tailspot, YCG, 6line, blue neon, are all small and they seem to all know to not perch in them. Though the tailspot and 6line will pull food away from the nem. love your threads! thanks for the info especially about the fish you have with the RFA. future fish list includes(undecided) tailspot & neon goby. don"t know if i"ll keep my YCG for the new tank?? Quote Link to comment
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