mysterious anemone (not an aptasia for a change)

[music man]

Alright I know I should be able to figure this out on my own but I just can't seem to pin it down to one Species. maybe it's too young or maybe it's sick?

the litle bugger was living on the sandbed in the dark behind my LR when I tore the tank up to clean out some other junk. now it's attached to the rock upfront and seems to love thefreeze dried shrimp I feed to my BTA that is also in the tank.

the photos don't do justice to the rich bright purple almost a neon purple tips on each tenticle. I almost want to label this a condy, but hesitate because it was in the dark. I have no idea where it came from.

 

[Gibeon]

That's a good looking anemone. I have no idea what type is thought... sorry.

 

[music man]

o.k. here it goes again, she went on a regular walkabout last night and is hiding in the dark again in an area of high volume water in the sand bed??? this realy has me stumpped???
I see charcteristics of a half dozen differernt anemone, it eats shrimp one day, climbs up on the rocks another and suns itself, and the next day it's opportunity feeding in the sand bed. plus it has what almost appear to be jointed or segmented teneacles with bright purple tips.

 

[cheeks69]

I believe it's a Heteractis Aurora aka Beaded Anemone check some photos:

http://www.poppe-images.com/images/search_results.php?category=anemones&species=Heteractis aurora

 

[blue_eyes53813]

Wow it is cool looking... It was a hitchhiker???? I never get anything that looks nice like that...

 

[BoomerD]

DEFINITELY NOT a condy...Cheeks hit it on the head IMO. Beaded anemone.
From WWM:
"Heteractis aurora (Quoy & Gaimard 1833), the Beaded Sea Anemone. Family Stichodactylidae. Up to two inch tentacles, eleven inch disc width, with characteristic beaded appearance. With apparent mouth opening and often with radiating appearance from center. Stalk may be mottled or solid orange or red. Live attached to solid structure, able to retract completely beneath the substrate. "

 

[music man]

Drilled that nail right square on the head! I have been researching all I can on this species, it has 3 common names beaded, sand anemone and aurora anemone, has anyone had one? are they highly photosynthetic?
I guess they arent real popular in the hobby since captivity generally washes out the color to a brown or tan monochrome color.
any info? I can't find much online ar in books listing it but, my library isnt that grand.

 

[razz]

we get them in koneoe bay here in hawaii in the sand bed areas..they luv bright light and deep sand..believe it or not the clarki and sometimes tomato clown will make it a home and bring it food as they like to eat..i have had many over the years but have come to find they will travel up the live rock to find more light ,then return down to the sand they like and never be happy untill they have both..so renember plenty of bright light and a nice sand bed and they will thrive..

 

[sasquatch]

Hey Musicman I have a beaded in my display, left it alone and it grew a bunch, now I feed it, its really fun to watch eat. gulp .. next! it took me like 2 months of searching to id it, and mine likes shaded areas , when I rescaped I moved rock so it would get more light, he packed up and moved. colours not anything to shout about but for a hitchhiker no complaints . Steve