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Cramer's Caribbean Critters
Florida Zoanthids
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ZOANTHIDS (Zoanthus) Cuvier, 1800
The
Sea Mat zoanthids have a few species, including Z. sociatus (Sea Mat) and Z. pulchellus (Zoanthid Button Polyps), which are
found here in the tropical Atlantic. The species in the Zoanthid genus have the ability to change color to a darker
or lighter shade depending on the light. This makes them less likely to bleach out. They can be found in various
reef environments including being out in the open during low tide! This indicates a need for bright light. Even though they use good amount
of light, they also need to feed from the water column to live, so pristine water conditions may not be the best environments.
They can be feed zooplankton, but may not respond, since they fed mostly on dissolved organic waste, algae, and bacteria. Colors can be a wide variety
of blues, greens, yellow, sometimes orange, and combinations of some or all 3. They typically have contrasting skirts,
discs, and centers! 10K really makes them POP! Their polyps are rarely bigger than 1/2." Sometimes a Sea Mat colony will
feel the need to "cleanse" itself and close up for a week. Don't worry, they are fine. They reproduce
by budding from the base of the parent colony. Wash your hands after handling. Although they do not have the dangerous
palytoxin in their mucus, that the Palythoa zoanthids do, it is a good habit. Here are a few identification features: Zoanthus sociatus have polyps
with 30 short tentacles each, that are green to turquoise. Their mats are not symmetrical, and when closed are
tightly crowded together. They feed on detritus, but not zooplankton. Zoanthus pulchellus has a very dense mat that crowds the zoas together. Can't tell you
the polyp count on that one but they are short and blunt. Light: Moderate & High Temperature 72-83F PH: 8.0 to 8.3 Salt: 1.023-1.025 Minimum Tank size: ALL sizes Tank mates: Keep away from other corals to prevent overgrowth. NO FILEFISH (they eat them) Reef safe: Yes
What you see what you get frags . |
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