• Invert of the Week - the Mini Carpet Anemone



    Mini Carpet Anemone - Stichodactyla tapetum
    Whenever someone visits, I’m always sure to point out the Mini Carpet Anemones in my smaller aquarium. Rarely have people responded with a blasé comment that they’ve seen them before; rather they are quickly excited to see something new and usual. From what I’ve seen on the web, they really aren’t prevalent in most reef aquaria, although they really could be. They’ve actually be around for a very long time, as they were given their Latin name in 1834. (Hemprich and Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1834)

    Common Name: Mini Carpet Anemone
    Latin: Stichodactyla tapetum
    Origin: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea
    Size: 1.6” / 4 cm
    Diet: Carnivorous, meaty foods (plankton-size as well)
    Coloration: Varied in coloration from specimen to specimen. Quite colorful.
    Difficulty: Easy
    Temperament: Very sticky; some livestock may perish when passing too closely
    Lifespan: Years with good husbandry
    Salinity: 1.023 - 1.026sg
    Temperature range: 74° F - 82° F
    Lighting: Strong (MH, T5, LEDs)

    I was given two of these during a trip to Rochester, New York back in 2008. They were placed in my angled tank and in no time I was looking at four of them. They propagated on their own via fission, a process of tearing themselves in half. Since they’d been moved from a tank they were happy in, odds are this was a survival reaction to assure they didn’t perish in the new water. I quickly gave one to a friend to increase the odds of keeping them alive, a process referred to as “banking.”

    They can be directly fed if desired, but frankly it seems to be completely unnecessary. They contain symbiotic zooxanthellae within their bodies that uses light to produce sugars for energy to live and grow. Additionally, they can capture any plankton-sized foods that drift by, feeding opportunistically. And finally, if prey gets too close, they too will quickly be stung by tiny nematocysts that penetrate the surface of the unlucky passerby. I’ve observed a tiny goby swim face-first into a mini carpet anemone, and that was it. The fish was too big to be consumed, so it was found dead a few inches away on the sandy substrate when I checked back 20 minutes later. My guess is that the fish was chasing some food and didn’t turn in time. The clownfish pair and the mystery wrasse in that tank have avoided the minefield for a long time.

    They aren’t self-propagating to the point of being a nuisance coral, unlike Aiptasia or Majano anemones. They do move about the tank, seeking an area of comfortable flow and good lighting. I’ve found them at the top of the tank, on the return plumbing, inside the trough that acts as the drain, and elsewhere. They have been shared with about 12 people in the past two years, and I currently have about 20-30 of them in my system.

    Their coloration with bright pink center and the bubble-like polyps resembles their bigger Carpet Anemone family. The pictures in this article depict them accurately, although at first glance some might think they are Ricordea. They don’t seem to bother other nearby corals, and in the wild are often found in seagrasses. The best part is that they stay small, with the largest being about the size of a quarter so they are perfectly suitable for even the tiniest aquariums. In the first picture below, notice their small size. The second image is a close up. All images below were taken under a 12,000K Phoenix 150w DE MH bulb.




    As hobbyists, keeping such animals does put the responsibility upon us to care for them properly. Fortunately, if you have a stable reef tank set up, this is an easy addition that needs almost no attention at all. As they spread, they can be shared with others to assure their survival for years to come. I doubt any species of clownfish would host in these tiny carpets, but if you know of some that have, please let us know so we can update the article with pictured proof.



    With the Valonia sp. algae in the frame, it is easy to see how small these are. These are medium sized.


    Order: Actiniaria
    Family: Stichodactylidae
    Genus: Stichodactyla
    Species: Stichodactyla tapetum
    Comments 9 Comments
    1. robicts's Avatar
      robicts -
      very cool. Do any types of shrimp hosts these types of Anemones?
    1. CaelCynndarr's Avatar
      CaelCynndarr -
      In response to robicts: i think it would be amazingly adorable to see sexy shrimp hosting this tiny anemonei do have a question though how much do these cost and how likely are they to kill a clown goby
    1. melev's Avatar
      melev -
      They are super sticky, and I had a small goby swim face-first into one while chasing a mysis floating through the tank. The goby didn't survive. I don't think anything hosts in these little guys, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying them.

      I got mine from a hobbyist in Rochester for free, and I've made it a point to share them with anyone else for free providing they agreed to never sell them either. It just seems like we should be more giving in this hobby, not always trying to sell everything.
    1. schwa6970's Avatar
      schwa6970 -
      I would be happy to be a recipient of one of them next time you feel "giving" I promise I wont sell it . I was investigating getting a bigger carpet but I dont like the survival rates they typically have in an aquarium.
    1. melev's Avatar
      melev -
      This one is a TINY carpet anemone, which isn't a showpiece by any means. It's less than a Floria ricordea in diamater. I shipped a couple to San Antonio last week to get them growing down south. Where are you located?
    1. stangchris's Avatar
      stangchris -
      Quote Originally Posted by melev View Post
      This one is a TINY carpet anemone, which isn't a showpiece by any means. It's less than a Floria ricordea in diamater. I shipped a couple to San Antonio last week to get them growing down south. Where are you located?
      thanks Marc, im the guy in San Antonio that got them, no i havent forgotten you i need your address to send back your cooler. They split right away so now i have 4 as soon as i get 6 or more ill start passing them along. i brodcast feed my coral since i have a small tank and that pretty much when they get food dont really spot feed them. Again thanks Marc
    1. Jynxgirl's Avatar
      Jynxgirl -
      They are so cute.

      Agree, wish people were a bit more giving in this hobby.
    1. Snakebyt's Avatar
      Snakebyt -
      i really wish i could find some more of these.. i had some years ago and really liked them

      also sorry to bump such an old topic, but these little guys are worth the bump
    1. melev's Avatar
      melev -
      I got two more from a friend but as soon as they got in my frag tank, they bleached out. I think they want dirtier water than my reef, or they don't like my LED fixture perhaps.