Description
Utter Chaos Zoanthid
Utter Choas Zoas are found throughout the Indo-Pacific and belong to the family Zoanthidae. They are vibrant corals and easy to keep for the beginner.
Zoanthids are also known for their ability to hybridize, which can make identification more difficult. Hybrid zoanthids can have characteristics of both parents, making it challenging to determine their exact species. This is also very funky when it comes to common names.
When identifying zoanthids, it is important to pay attention to their colour, pattern, and polyp size and shape. It can also be helpful to consult with other reef keepers or experts in the field, particularly if you come across a common name you are unsure about.
Zoanthids are known for their fast growth rate, making them a popular choice for reef aquariums. They reproduce asexually, which means that individual polyps can divide and create new colonies. This process is known as budding.
Zoanthids are photosynthetic, which means that they derive their energy from light. They do not require regular feedings, but they can benefit from occasional feedings of phytoplankton or other coral foods.
Feeding zoanthids should be done sparingly, as overfeeding can lead to poor water quality and other issues.
Zoanthids are relatively hardy corals, but they can still experience a number of issues in a reef aquarium. One common problem is zoanthid pox, which is a viral infection that causes small white spots on the coral's surface.
Other issues that can affect zoanthids, but is more related to newly imported colonies are pests such as predatory flatworms, nudibranchs, snails and spiders. Quarantining and dipping new imports is a must as with most corals.
Zoanthus
Zoanthus or zoas, have a distinct sphincter muscle around their oral opening. The others generally lack this characteristic. Some hobbyists describe this as a “round” mouth for zoas and a “slit” mouth for palys.
Additionally, zoas do not use sediment in their coenenchyme, or tissue. Their tissue is thinner and tears more easily than that of palys and protopalys.
Zoanthus are also the more colorful zoanthids, sometimes growing in bright colors of orange, blue, green, turquoise, red, etc. Zoas are likely to have contrasting colors between the tentacles and the oral disk. The polyps are grown in a mat of the coenenchyme, and they are embedded in the tissue (growing close to the mat).
Difficulty: Easy
Lighting: Low to medium
Flow: Medium
Feeding: Relies on zooxanthellae and plankton
Aggressiveness: Peaceful
Supplements: Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine,