Big beautiful and deadly.
Gigantea carpet anemone.
Red carpet anemone or giant anemone are one of the largest of the anemones available in the aquarium industry.
This colorful anemone is also referred to as haddon s anemone or saddle carpet.
Some other names they are known for are gigantic sea anemone carpet anemone and giant anemone.
Saddle carpet anemones have short blunt tentacles with a very potent sting and can be distinguished from their close relatives stichodactyla gigantea and stichodactyla mertensii by the lack of any coloration spots or markings on the underside of the anemone and down its column.
Normally found on rocky reefs with soft muddy or sandy substrate it can attain a size of up to three feet in diameter.
The blue morph of stichodactyla gigantea in the wild.
The stichodactyla genus is a member of the stichodactylidae family and this genus contains 6 species.
Red carpet anemone stichodactyla gigantea is also known as the giant anemone giant carpet anemone or giant red carpet anemone it s the rarest of its species and have a higher price tag than other giant saddle anemones.
While not necessary in captivity pairing a host anemone with a clownfish is one of the most striking displays in the hobby.
Haddon s carpet anemone have short blunt tentacles with a very potent sting and can be distinguished from their close relatives stichodactyla gigantea and stichodactyla mertensii by the lack of any coloration spots.
It can be kept in an aquarium but is a very challenging species to keep alive and healthy for more than 3 5 years.
They are capable of stinging and semi aggressive so should be kept away from other anemones and corals.
Stichodactyla gigantea commonly known as the giant carpet anemone is a species of sea anemone that lives in the indo pacific area.
A gigantea carpet anemone has been known to eat varied sizes of fish and invertebrates making them one of the more aggressive eaters when compared to other anemones.
However carpet anemones are very challenging to maintain in the home aquarium and few hobbyists are able to attain long term success.
For that reason extreme care should be taken when keeping a gigantea carpet anemone in an aquarium with other anemones.
Once thought to be the purview of only the experienced aquarist today s aquarium technology makes it possible for a novice with an established tank at least four to six months old to successfully keep an anemone.
By mike maddox.
Stichodactyla spp anemones otherwise known as carpet anemones are fascinating creatures and highly sought after by hobbyists.
The giant carpet anemone stichodactyla gigantea was described by forsskål in 1775.
The carpet anemone stichodactyla gigantea also known as haddon s anemone is best kept on a soft substrate bottom like many anemones the carpet makes an excellent host for most types of clownfish forming a symbiotic relationship.
