Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
In Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu (Hawaiii), increased inputs of freshwater, terrigenous sediment, and sewage from human civilization displaced stony corals in large numbers, and the vacated substrate was taken over by two crustose anemones, Zoanthus pacificus (Walsh and Bowers, 1971) and Palythoa vestitus Verrill, 1928.
Palythoa vestitus, in particular, formed gigantic colonies on the sandy areas of the reefs, with up to 12,000 polyps per square meter!
Palythoa vestitus is also quite common in other shallow reefs in Hawaiii, but at much lower densities.
It is interesting to note that these colonies produced only male gonads, i.e., mass reproduction was asexual by cloning.
This crustose anemone has rather large polyps and is found on lagoon pinnacles as well as on seaward reefs.
Palythoa vestitus has delicate tentacles that are rounded at the outer edge of the deep brown oral disc and radiate white from the center.
It is a shallow water species that prefers strong lighting and strong water currents, occasionally the crusts secrete a layer of mucus from their base.
The crust has a characteristic pattern of brown and white stripes on the oral disc and may fluoresce green under blue light.
Palythoa vestitus is often imported from Indonesia.
Like all crustose anemones, Palythoa vestitus possesses the toxin playtoxin (one of the most deadly poisons in the animal kingdom), meaning that, if anything, the species should only be maintained by experienced keepers.
Generally, safety goggles and a mouth guard should be worn when working with the crustus, as the crustus can splash liquid when mechanical pressure is applied!
See also:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Massimo-Morpurgo/publication/328412728_Palytoxin_in_the_aquarium_a_real_health_risk_CORAL_-The_Reef_Marine_Aquarium_Magazine_Volume_15_Nr_2_p_72-80_Reef_and_Rainforest_Media_LLC_Shelburne_VT_USA/links/5e5103dfa6fdcc2f8f55567e/Palytoxin-in-the-aquarium-a-real-health-risk-CORAL-The-Reef-Marine-Aquarium-Magazine-Volume-15-Nr-2-p-72-80-Reef-and-Rainforest-Media-LLC-Shelburne-VT-USA.pdf
https://cen.acs.org/articles/96/i2/Palytoxin-danger-hidden-tropical-aquariums.html
Synonyms:
Protopalythoa vestitus (Verrill, 1928)
Zoanthus vestitus Verrill, 1928
Palythoa vestitus, in particular, formed gigantic colonies on the sandy areas of the reefs, with up to 12,000 polyps per square meter!
Palythoa vestitus is also quite common in other shallow reefs in Hawaiii, but at much lower densities.
It is interesting to note that these colonies produced only male gonads, i.e., mass reproduction was asexual by cloning.
This crustose anemone has rather large polyps and is found on lagoon pinnacles as well as on seaward reefs.
Palythoa vestitus has delicate tentacles that are rounded at the outer edge of the deep brown oral disc and radiate white from the center.
It is a shallow water species that prefers strong lighting and strong water currents, occasionally the crusts secrete a layer of mucus from their base.
The crust has a characteristic pattern of brown and white stripes on the oral disc and may fluoresce green under blue light.
Palythoa vestitus is often imported from Indonesia.
Like all crustose anemones, Palythoa vestitus possesses the toxin playtoxin (one of the most deadly poisons in the animal kingdom), meaning that, if anything, the species should only be maintained by experienced keepers.
Generally, safety goggles and a mouth guard should be worn when working with the crustus, as the crustus can splash liquid when mechanical pressure is applied!
See also:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Massimo-Morpurgo/publication/328412728_Palytoxin_in_the_aquarium_a_real_health_risk_CORAL_-The_Reef_Marine_Aquarium_Magazine_Volume_15_Nr_2_p_72-80_Reef_and_Rainforest_Media_LLC_Shelburne_VT_USA/links/5e5103dfa6fdcc2f8f55567e/Palytoxin-in-the-aquarium-a-real-health-risk-CORAL-The-Reef-Marine-Aquarium-Magazine-Volume-15-Nr-2-p-72-80-Reef-and-Rainforest-Media-LLC-Shelburne-VT-USA.pdf
https://cen.acs.org/articles/96/i2/Palytoxin-danger-hidden-tropical-aquariums.html
Synonyms:
Protopalythoa vestitus (Verrill, 1928)
Zoanthus vestitus Verrill, 1928
