{"product_id":"adhesive-sea-anemone-aa001-cryptodendrum-adhaesivum","title":"Adhesive Sea Anemone AA001 | Cryptodendrum adhaesivum","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Adhesive Sea Anemone, also traded as the Pizza Anemone, is the most distinctive of the host anemones: a dense, flat carpet of very short beaded tentacles, often split into two contrasting colours across the disc. AA001 is a living anchor point for a clownfish, with the disc in constant gentle motion, and it is a genuine showpiece in a mature reef. It is also a demanding animal. This is not a first anemone, and it should not be bought for a tank that is still settling in.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCryptodendrum adhaesivum\u003c\/em\u003e is found across the Indo-Pacific, including northern Australian reefs and the Red Sea, in shallow water between roughly 3 and 15 metres. It wedges its foot deep into a crevice in reef rock or coral rubble, usually where hard structure meets sand, and spreads its disc flat under bright light and moderate water movement. Giving it that combination in the aquarium, a solid crevice it can grip, open sand nearby and genuinely strong light, is the single biggest factor in whether it settles.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe tentacles are extremely short, tightly packed and knobbed, giving the surface a textured, carpet-like finish quite unlike the long tentacles of other host anemones. Colour is highly variable and often two-toned, with a cream, grey or pink outer ring surrounding a green, yellow, blue or purple centre, and a contrasting column below. A settled adult disc reaches around 30 cm across. Colour deepens over the first few months as the symbiotic zooxanthellae recover from collection and shipping.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAggressive. The common name is earned, the tentacles are genuinely adhesive and the sting is among the strongest of the host anemones. Small fish and shrimp that blunder into the disc will be caught and eaten, and any coral it touches will be burned. Leave a clear zone of at least 20 cm around it and accept that an unsettled anemone can still wander. Fit guards to every powerhead and overflow intake before the animal goes in the tank. An anemone drawn into an unguarded pump is the most common way these are lost, and a shredded anemone can foul an entire system.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhotosynthetic. Most of its energy comes from the zooxanthellae in its tissue, which makes lighting a feeding requirement rather than a cosmetic one. Supplement that with target feeds of meaty food once or twice a week: chopped prawn, silverside, mussel or fortified mysis, offered in pieces small enough for the disc to close over. Do not overfeed. A rejected lump left to rot does more damage than a missed meal.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eProvide a minimum of 200 L, with 300 L or larger recommended for long-term stability. Keep temperature at 24-27 °C, pH 8.1-8.4 and salinity 1.024-1.026. Lighting must be strong, in the order of 250-400 PAR at the anemone, and should be reached by raising intensity gradually over several weeks rather than in one step. Moderate, turbulent flow suits it best; avoid a direct blast from a pump. Place it low on the rockwork or where rock meets the sandbed and let it choose its own final position rather than forcing placement. A mature, fully cycled and chemically stable system is essential, with low and steady nitrate and phosphate. Do not add one to a tank under six months old. Reef safe with caution.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot bred in home aquariums. \u003cem\u003eCryptodendrum adhaesivum\u003c\/em\u003e reproduces sexually by broadcast spawning and does not divide by fission the way bubble tip anemones do, so a specimen will not multiply in your tank. All trade stock is wild collected, which is a further reason to take one on only when the aquarium is genuinely ready for it.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003ctable\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCryptodendrum adhaesivum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdhesive Sea Anemone, Pizza Anemone\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIndo-Pacific, including northern Australia and the Red Sea\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAround 30 cm across the oral disc\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDecades in a stable system\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAggressive, potent sting\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficult, experienced reef keepers only\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e200 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e300 L or larger\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePhotosynthetic carnivore: zooxanthellae plus target feeds of chopped prawn, silverside, mussel and mysis\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24-27 °C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.1-8.4\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1.024-1.026 specific gravity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMature, stable reef aquariums with strong lighting and guarded pump intakes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef safe with caution, stings corals it contacts and may wander\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable for marine aquariums\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e \u003c\/table\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eClark's anemonefish, \u003cem\u003eAmphiprion clarkii\u003c\/em\u003e, is the only anemonefish reliably recorded hosting in this species, and juvenile three-spot damsels, \u003cem\u003eDascyllus trimaculatus\u003c\/em\u003e, will sometimes associate with it. Do not buy this anemone expecting ocellaris or percula clownfish to move in, as they very rarely do. Otherwise it suits robust marine community fish that stay clear of the substrate, such as tangs, larger wrasses, rabbitfish and anthias, along with a clean-up crew of snails and hermits kept away from the disc.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAvoid small gobies, firefish, cleaner and other ornamental shrimp, and any fish that habitually rests on the sand, as all are at risk of being eaten. Avoid placing it within reach of LPS, SPS or soft corals, and avoid crowding it against other anemones, which compete chemically. Not suitable for new, nutrient-unstable or low-light systems, or any tank with unguarded powerheads.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat you see is what you get: AA001 is the exact specimen shown in the listing photo. Available for local delivery or in-store collection. Not certain it is the right match for your reef? Get in touch, we are happy to guide you.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55232743506211,"sku":"AA1035","price":150.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/adhesive-sea-anemone-aa001-cryptodendrum-adhaesivum","provider":"Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}