Paly experts - is this a known palytoxin offender?

[ajmckay]

*Edit* It would be really cool if someone were to compile a pictoral guide/list of species that are know to contain palytoxin...  

 

Saw this cool frag at the LFS and it was cheap so I got it.  I don't normally make purchases before researching but this is just going in my CC pico which is still running. It seems to be "cupped" when open.  I've yet to see it spread flat like a typical polyp.  The largest one is probably about 15mm or 5/8" diameter - guessing it's a type of palythoa.  

 

Anyone know what it's called?

 

Here it is closed up:

IMG_20180514_230436 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

And here it is open:

IMG_20180515_080235 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

IMG_20180515_080204 by aaron M, on Flickr

[mndfreeze]

Looks like a Zoa to me

[Red_Blenny]

Looks like those giant palythoa, like those mind blowing or nuclear green palys. I have those and they're pretty neat when they keep their teal/baby blue color... plus, it's cool to watch when they eat live amphipods.

[ajmckay]

22 hours ago, mndfreeze said:

Looks like a Zoa to me

Thanks.  I know it's a zoa/paly of some kind - I'm more looking for the common name of them.

19 hours ago, Red_Blenny said:

Looks like those giant palythoa, like those mind blowing or nuclear green palys. I have those and they're pretty neat when they keep their teal/baby blue color... plus, it's cool to watch when they eat live amphipods.

Thanks.  I tend to agree that they share similar traits.  I have to feed it something now !!

[ajmckay]

Okay so after a bunch of research I'm not sure which, but they could either be the infamous Palythoa heliodiscus or the harmless P. mutiki... 

 

Characteristics that make me think it may be P. heliodiscus (bad)

- Shorter skirt tentacles. Where P. mutuki usually has tentacles that are the length of the radius of the disc, P. heliodiscus is usually 20% or less.  It's hard to tell for me honestly.  Today the tentacles extended more than they usually do so it might be more than 20%... See pics below.

- Radiating lines - but not very prominent

- Lack of a "ventral directive mesentery" which seems to be a single more distinct white line radiating from the center of the polyp and is charateristic of P. Mutuki.

 

Charateristics that make me think it may be P. Mutuki:

- Seems to have green and brown coloration and a solid color disc - where P. heliodiscus tends to be more teal and brown with an irregular/mottled color.

- Has capitulary ridges as far as I can tell (see pic)

- Tends to stay cupped (instead of flat), even during the day

 

Here is the polyp closed (used a baster to piss it off).  I think those may be capitulary ridges in green.

2018-05-18_10-02-47 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

Here's a pic with the tentacles extended further than I've seen yet - just took this today.

IMG_20180518_104844 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

Here's a pic of them under incandescent light.

IMG_20180518_102821 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

Here's one of the better sources I found for figuring it out.  Personally it seems like someone with the appropriate testing equipment/lab should put together a pictoral guide on which polyps to avoid.  This would be helpful for wholesalers and even collectors as ultimately I don't think anyone should be selling corals known to have a high concentration of toxin.

https://reefs.com/2015/09/14/the-dangers-and-myths-of-zoa-toxicity-part-1/

[Red_Blenny]

Hmmm now you made me curious which paly species I have. Mines had a distinct teal color buuuut for the past 6 months, it's been turning brown/green instead of teal and it does have crazy long tentacles and it's longest I've ever seen it..... though not too sure mines has that distinct single white line...

 

According to the link, P. mutuki "...indicate a more predaceous existence" versus a P. heliodiscus that "lack basitrich nematocysts used for capturing prey". Mines will catch amphipods (like a crazy venus flytrap/sundew hybrid) sooo if you have amphipods, catch one, and feed it to your paly.

[ajmckay]

Another observation - it seems to stay open all the time.  Last night and this morning it was open in the pitch black.