Description
Green speckled zoanthids are interesting zoanthids from the deeper water that is most likely a color morph of Zoanthus pulchellus. This is an interesting zoanthid from deeper water that is most likely a color morph of Zoanthus pulchellus. The oral disk of the polyp is a striped green color but some polyps may have gaps in the green stripes giving it a speckled appearance. The mouth is darker green with a light center, and the tentacles are about the same color as the area
near the mouth. There may be some variations in the color, but this is a pretty good presentation of this color morph. The picture was taken in sunlight with a standard flash, so it’s not jazzed up by some sort of funky lighting. This is what they actually look like in the wild, so that’s about what they will look like when they leave our warehouse.
We fresh water dip all of our zoo’s when they are brought into the warehouse, and regularly clean, prune, and groom them, but there is always a possibility that they might contain some unwanted hitch hikers, so additional treatment is recommended. Go to Reefcentral.com for more information on treating and dipping zoanthids.
Zoanthids are partially photosynthetic and partially detritus feeders. Since this morph is from deeper water, it’s used to more subdued light and a light motion. This is a fast growing morph and will multiply rapidly if your tank conditions are right. In the wild it relies mainly on a daily shower of sediment and detritus for it’s nutritional needs, so you’ll need to regularly dust
them with some sort of fine particle food to keep it in optimal health.
Our zoanthids are not mounted on rock, so they can easily be fragged as soon as you get them to make more colonies.
Single: 1 polyp, and maybe a few more than that. The polyps are about a half inch or less in diameter.
Nano: This cluster will contain at least 5 polyps, and maybe a few more than that. The polyps are about a half inch or less in diameter.
Small: This cluster will contain at least 15 polyps, and maybe a few more than that. The polyps are about a half inch or less in diameter.
Large: This cluster will contain at least 30 polyps, and maybe a few more than that. The polyps are about a half inch or less in diameter.
Care should be taken when handling any zoanthid, ricordea, mushroom coral, or sea anemone because they use stinging cells called nematocysts to sting and capture their food, and these cells can cause skin irritation and eye damage if it gets on you or in your eyes. The mucus of some of these animals also contains strong toxins that can cause severe skin irritations and permanent eye damage if handled improperly. Use latex type gloves and protective glasses when handling or fragging these species.
michael mattox –
very bright neon green, spread fast. The speckled pattern makes them more interesting than solid greens, IMO.
Jonathan Humphreys –
These are just amazingly bright. The photo doesn’t come close to doing them justice. In fact, *despite* the photo, I bought these on a whim, given how pleased I’ve been with everything Ken has ever sold me. When they opened in my tank, I was shocked at how cool they look. I’ve bought many, many varieties of Zoanthids from all over (specialty websites, direct from wholesalers here in Los Angeles, ebay, etc), and these are some of the best I’ve yet seen.