White strings comming from RBTA tentacles

NanoReefer53 · 07/06/2006, 05:14 PM

I just recieved an RBTA that was dying about a week ago. It was pretty bleached but luckily it was still well enough to hold onto the rocks and eat a piece of shrimp and only spitting out a tiny chunk. It doesn't open up too often, more like halfway but I think it's starting to do much better. I started notcing some small white stringy things at the end of some of the tentacles though. I know anemones have been known to throw up their internals when dying but this seems like it's comming out of the tentacles because I can see the trail of it comming from inside. Any answer to why it's doing that?

Here's a picture:
The top right circle shows the white string inside the tentacle. The other circle shows the white strings already excreted.

boyooso · 07/06/2006, 11:59 PM

The stringy thing on the right, which is inside the tenticle is is Zooxanthaelle.

Finding Nemo told me as the anemoe gets healthier it will get more dense and you won't see it anymore.

As for the the stuff coming from the tenticles... I had always assumed it got rid of its Zoox... through its mouthy thing.

I hope someone else more experienced will expand upon this :-)

Telgian · 07/11/2006, 05:57 PM

I've seen this before, and I'm pretty sure of what this is. (Though an expert could differ.)

I have a RBTA that, amongst other things, decided to take a ride on top of an AC 500 impeller.

The impeller shredded a third of the critter, and the anemone recovered VERY slowly.

'Problem Child', as I now call the RBTA, refused to form a mouth for several months, but I could feed it because of the 'white strings' that you see.

They are mesenterial filaments. Your anemone wraps these around the food that it swallows. They are part of the digestion process.

In this case, it is pushing them out through the pores at the end of the tentacle, and possibly from pores in the oral disk as well.
(Look for these between the base of a tentacle and the mouth.)

Did you feed the tank just prior to seeing these?

I used to drop a couple of fish pellets among the RBTA tentacles and the filaments would wrap around the food completely. External digestion.

Nowadays it doesn't do this, it moves the food to its mouth and ingests it.

Nothing to worry about, unless it is sending the filaments out through its mouth.

HTH

NanoReefer53 · 07/11/2006, 07:47 PM

Thanks Telgian.

I'm guessing this is possible since the last owner I got this from was neglecting it pretty bad. It has stopped the white string thing a couple days ago and I've been feeding it twice a week. You can see a piece of shirmp in it's mouth it's in the picture.

07/06/2006, 05:14 PM	#1
NanoReefer53 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dublin, CA Posts: 682	White strings comming from RBTA tentacles I just recieved an RBTA that was dying about a week ago. It was pretty bleached but luckily it was still well enough to hold onto the rocks and eat a piece of shrimp and only spitting out a tiny chunk. It doesn't open up too often, more like halfway but I think it's starting to do much better. I started notcing some small white stringy things at the end of some of the tentacles though. I know anemones have been known to throw up their internals when dying but this seems like it's comming out of the tentacles because I can see the trail of it comming from inside. Any answer to why it's doing that? Here's a picture: The top right circle shows the white string inside the tentacle. The other circle shows the white strings already excreted. Last edited by NanoReefer53; 07/06/2006 at 05:24 PM.

07/06/2006, 11:59 PM	#2
boyooso Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Flagstaff Posts: 475	The stringy thing on the right, which is inside the tenticle is is Zooxanthaelle. Finding Nemo told me as the anemoe gets healthier it will get more dense and you won't see it anymore. As for the the stuff coming from the tenticles... I had always assumed it got rid of its Zoox... through its mouthy thing. I hope someone else more experienced will expand upon this :-) __________________ nothing is true, everything is permitted -Hassan I sabbah Current Tank Info: 50 gallon fish-n-stuff tank

07/11/2006, 05:57 PM	#3
Telgian Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Location, Location; (Montréal) Posts: 247	I've seen this before, and I'm pretty sure of what this is. (Though an expert could differ.) I have a RBTA that, amongst other things, decided to take a ride on top of an AC 500 impeller. The impeller shredded a third of the critter, and the anemone recovered VERY slowly. 'Problem Child', as I now call the RBTA, refused to form a mouth for several months, but I could feed it because of the 'white strings' that you see. They are mesenterial filaments. Your anemone wraps these around the food that it swallows. They are part of the digestion process. In this case, it is pushing them out through the pores at the end of the tentacle, and possibly from pores in the oral disk as well. (Look for these between the base of a tentacle and the mouth.) Did you feed the tank just prior to seeing these? I used to drop a couple of fish pellets among the RBTA tentacles and the filaments would wrap around the food completely. External digestion. Nowadays it doesn't do this, it moves the food to its mouth and ingests it. Nothing to worry about, unless it is sending the filaments out through its mouth. HTH

07/11/2006, 07:47 PM	#4
NanoReefer53 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dublin, CA Posts: 682	Thanks Telgian. I'm guessing this is possible since the last owner I got this from was neglecting it pretty bad. It has stopped the white string thing a couple days ago and I've been feeding it twice a week. You can see a piece of shirmp in it's mouth it's in the picture.