Pedal laceration in Gigantea

[beuchat]

HI, just to show two pics of pedal laceration in stichodactyla gigantea.






Any experiences?

Regards

[velvetelvis]

None here, but please consider keeping this thread updated with progress pictures and notes. This is really interesting.

[SkullV]

I can't tell from the photos but do the small pieces have their own mouths?

[BonsaiNut]

Please keep this thread updated! I would like to see how/if these change over time!

[Nebthet]

Originally Posted by SkullV

I can't tell from the photos but do the small pieces have their own mouths?

That is what I was wondering. It looks like this nem is producing clones via the pedal lacerations.

Was this done on purpose or did the nem do it on its' own?
Please keep us updated.

[velvetelvis]

I think I read in one of Sprung's books that S. gigantea does reproduce via pedal laceration. I'll check when I get home.

[beuchat]

The "baby" clones do not have mouths already. I think they will develop in the future, but don´t know how long does it takes.I placed the anemone in the tank a week ago. It came with that condition from the LFS.

I will keep this post updated when new info is available.

Regards.

[SkullV]

Originally Posted by beuchat

The "baby" clones do not have mouths already. I think they will develop in the future, but don´t know how long does it takes.I placed the anemone in the tank a week ago. It came with that condition from the LFS.

I will keep this post updated when new info is available.

Regards.

Very interesting. I have always understood that a mouth will not simply grow out of nowhere and that part of the mouth has to be included in the "clone" in order for it to fully develop into it's own anemone. I would be very interested to keep up with this thread if you keep posting info!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It would be interesting to see what happens to a piece of food placed onto one of those sections.

[beuchat]

I have not fed tha anemone yet. I will try tomorrow and report.

[bues0022]

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

It would be interesting to see what happens to a piece of food placed onto one of those sections.

agreed!

[Toddrtrex]

Is this the same anemone in this thread?

[beuchat]

Yes it is, That is the reason I am not feeding it. I have instaled a dedicated koralia facing the anemone. The mouth is closed and it does not show necrosis so I think it will recover (I hope!!!)

Trying to separate the polymnus away from it.

[SkullV]

Any update on trying to feed the "clones"?

[beuchat]

No way,

The anemone is deflated again. I am thinking maybe it is starting a bacterial infection. Julian Sprung´s book (Coral Reef Vol. II) recommends to look the oral disc and column for sloughing necrosis tissue. If there is none present, then provide strong water flow and observe the animal to see if the condition persists or worsens. If there is necrosis, the anemone must be treated in a hospital tank with antibiotics.

I have prepared the hospital tank just in case, and already got cloramfenicol for this purpose.

Plastic container with heater and a mesh to avoid the anemone to attacht. I will put a koralia inside in case.



The antibiotic+temp controller:





I can not see dead,rotten or torn tissue so I will wait one day more to decide to remove or not. I have recovered previously two heteractis magníficas using this antibiotic and also enrofloxacine, but also lost another two anemones because I could not complete the treatment.

Also read in the book that the clownfishes seem to stimulate the flaccid anemone back to health, in fact I show one of them "diving" into the mouth and some little brown pieces of rest of digested food comming out (like "washing" its stomach)







Any ideas?

Thanks.

[garygb]

Curious about how you dose the antibiotics and for what time period?

[bues0022]

I am by no means an expert on rehabilitation sick anemones of this kind, but it was my understanding that a clownfish in an otherwise unhealthy anemone could stress it further. You are proposing the opposite. How did you come to said conclusion?

[beuchat]

Originally Posted by bues0022

I am by no means an expert on rehabilitation sick anemones of this kind, but it was my understanding that a clownfish in an otherwise unhealthy anemone could stress it further. You are proposing the opposite. How did you come to said conclusion?

It is descrived in the book "The reef Aquarium vol II" by Julian Sprung and Charles Delbeeck, page 401. Note that they recommend A. percula and A. ocelaris for the gigantea. In my case it is hosting a. polymnus

Also, in page 364 you can read:

"Anemones normally deflate on a rhythmic cycle of expansion and contraction, and this may send the aquarist into throws of alarm. Log term contraction is often but not always a sign of a problem, such as infection or predation by a bristle worm or fish. In Entacmaea quadricolor the process of asexual reproduction via longitudinal fission in preceded by several days of deflation followed by tearing of the oarl disc through the mouth and the column. Is is easy to appreciate why such an appearance could lead the aquarist to assume the anemone is dying!"

So, about my Gigantea I think different possibilities:

1- It is just changing its water inside (no worries)
2- It has contracted a bacterial infection (should be removed to hospital tank).
3- It is in a kind of process to "release" the "baby clones".

I hope the first option is the one!

[beuchat]

When I woke up this morning it was inflated, now its lunch time and deflated again. It behaves the same as magnificas when they are aclimating: they deflates when light is present and inflated at night.

Maybe is it suffering of free oxigen radicals produced by its zooxantelae photosynthesis?

Any ideas?

[bradleym]

You've only had the anemone a week. Just a thought, but could it be light acclimation? I had a baby haddoni that was ok for almost a week then started roaming and changing shape, deflating and inflating. It finally died after about 2 weeks.

I just got a bleached haddoni for a second attempt in the same tank. I used a screen to "dim" the lights but after three days it was acting the same as yours. So I added 2 more layers on the screening and he perked up after a few hours.

[Toddrtrex]

Great point "bradleym" --- I should have caught that, since I seem to tell people to do that all the time.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It seems to me that this is the normal cycle that many (actually, nearly all) shipped giganteas and often haddonis take: expansion and contraction ending in eventual death, regardless of what one does.

Probably bacterial infection, but it isn't known exactly what is happening.

[beuchat]

Just returned from the office. He is still deflated, no signs of necrosis, mouth open but no everted stomach.

I have switched the leds to "moon light" and let´s see the reactions.

If he does not recover in 24-hours I might remove him and use the antibiotics.

[beuchat]

I woke up at night (5:00 AM) and checked. It was deflated and dettatched. No necrosis.

I removed and placed it in a QT container with 50 mg/litre of cloramfenicol, with no light.





Looks bad, but maybe can be saved since no necrosis is present

I will decrease the temp to 24º C and cross fingers.

[beuchat]

Updated.

Is this necrosis or just rests of ingested food and mesenterial filaments?