Help with nem ID?

[yanni]

Hey all,

I got this malu? nem a few months ago, it’s steadily grown since, but doesn’t display any malu like colours that I’ve seen my friends malus have.

It’s collected off Western Australia, has grown very quickly, readily hosts my nem crabs and devours mysis. Super sticky, tentacles maybe an inch long, oral plate has opened up to 5-6 inches or so?

Someone said it may be an LTA, others said a malu of some sort, but I’m hoping for a more specific ID. I’ve attached pics of the foot, verrucae, and oral disc. Let me know if you need anything more

 

[yanni]

bump pls

 

[James M]

looks like a LTA but very interesting colors

 

[yanni]

Anyone else have any idea?

 

[Rtaylor]

Definitely looks like an lta, the orange foot and prominent verracue are key identifiers. The tentacles and oral disk also look like an lta. It doesn’t look anything like a malu. I’m nearly 100% certain it’s an LTA (macrodactyla doreensis)

Here’s a pic of my malu, you can see it has a lot more tentacles. I’ve also never heard of a malu with an orange foot.

 

[yanni]

Definitely looks like an lta, the orange foot and prominent verracue are key identifiers. The tentacles and oral disk also look like an lta. It doesn’t look anything like a malu. I’m nearly 100% certain it’s an LTA (macrodactyla doreensis)

Here’s a pic of my malu, you can see it has a lot more tentacles. I’ve also never heard of a malu with an orange foot.

Ah I see what you mean. Confuses me a little as I really thought it was a Malu. A shop near me stocks malus that look similar to mine, but still quite different. Is mine just a funky colour morph, or more likely to be an LTA?

For reference, the first pic is the “malu” when I bought it from the shops. Second pic is a malu being sold near me

 

[James M]

Ah I see what you mean. Confuses me a little as I really thought it was a Malu. A shop near me stocks malus that look similar to mine, but still quite different. Is mine just a funky colour morph, or more likely to be an LTA?

For reference, the first pic is the “malu” when I bought it from the shops. Second pic is a malu being sold near me

Those are h aurora

 

[yanni]

Those are h aurora

Ah weird. Always thought mine was a malu, not an LTA. its in a 20g, will it outgrow it?

 

[Rtaylor]

Those are h aurora

I thought maybe h.aurora too, but it doesn’t typically have the orange foot, it also sits differently in the sand, it’s mouth is almost like buried deeper than the rest of it. The tentacles are too sparse as well. Also I don’t see the bead-line tentacles that are present in h.aurora. From what I can see in the pic, the tentacles are striped, but not ‘beaded.’

 

[Rtaylor]

Ah weird. Always thought mine was a malu, not an LTA. its in a 20g, will it outgrow it?

Those pics further confirm lta. The way it has its tentacles curled is classic lta. 100% LTA, no doubt. They can get to be well over 12”

 

[yanni]

I thought maybe h.aurora too, but it doesn’t typically have the orange foot, it also sits differently in the sand, it’s mouth is almost like buried deeper than the rest of it. Also I don’t see the bead-line tentacles that are present in h.aurora. From what I can see in the pic, the tentacles are striped, but not ‘beaded.’

I did some more digging, and I believe it to just be a malu. Compared to a friends LTA, it’s defo not that, just some funky malu

 

[Rtaylor]

I did some more digging, and I believe it to just be a malu. Compared to a friends LTA, it’s defo not that, just some funky malu

You’re 100% wrong. It doesn’t have any characteristics that align with h.malu. The foot is wrong, the oral disc is wrong, the tentacles are wrong, the verracue is wrong. What on earth are you relying on for your identification? You should rely on anatomy for identification. Just count the tentacles and you’ll find it’s way too sparse for h.malu.

 

[James M]

I thought maybe h.aurora too, but it doesn’t typically have the orange foot, it also sits differently in the sand, it’s mouth is almost like buried deeper than the rest of it. The tentacles are too sparse as well. Also I don’t see the bead-line tentacles that are present in h.aurora. From what I can see in the pic, the tentacles are striped, but not ‘beaded.’

I’m referring to the pics about the local shops OP provided.

 

[James M]

Ah weird. Always thought mine was a malu, not an LTA. its in a 2

They do grow very fast but in a 20 gallon you do have room

 

[yanni]

You’re 100% wrong. It doesn’t have any characteristics that align with h.malu. The foot is wrong, the oral disc is wrong, the tentacles are wrong, the verracue is wrong. What on earth are you relying on for your identification? You should rely on anatomy for identification. Just count the tentacles and you’ll find it’s way too sparse for h.malu.

I’m looking at pictures from collectors locally, and from friends who have long tentacle nems. The tentacles don’t seem as clustered or as numerous as an LTA, and I asked a friend who had a malu who said his was very similar.

Could it be a difference in colour and traits due to geography? Western Australia collected vs Pacific vs Caribbean?

 

[Dbichler]

No this is a lta

 

[Rtaylor]

I’m looking at pictures from collectors locally, and from friends who have long tentacle nems. The tentacles don’t seem as clustered or as numerous as an LTA, and I asked a friend who had a malu who said his was very similar.

Could it be a difference in colour and traits due to geography? Western Australia collected vs Pacific vs Caribbean?

Collectors very frequently misidentify anemones. You need to rely on anatomical features when available. Your anemone has every known anatomical feature of lta’s visible to the eye.

LTA’s have the fewest tentacles of all hobby anemone’s

 

[yanni]

Collectors very frequently misidentify anemones. You need to rely on anatomical features when available. Your anemone has every known anatomical feature of lta’s visible to the eye.

LTA’s have the fewest tentacles of all hobby anemone’s

Well I’ll be danged. Thank you man, I really appreciate it. Not sure what to do now, it’s in a corner but growing quickly haha.

Is there any site/list/video where I can find ID guides?

 

[Rtaylor]

Well I’ll be danged. Thank you man, I really appreciate it. Not sure what to do now, it’s in a corner but growing quickly haha.

Is there any site/list/video where I can find ID guides?

Not specifically unfortunately, at least not that I’m aware of.