The cinnamon zoanthus, Protopalythoa grandiflora , is a very hardy zoanthid that is somewhat uncommon in Florida..  Each nano cluster will have about 5 polyps on it, and will be about the size of a ping pong ball.  Each of the polyps will expand to about ¾ of an inch in diameter and will be a dark, cinnamon brown color.  These are very hardy zoanthids that come from deeper water, so they will do well with low to moderate light conditions.  They are occasionally found in very shallow water too, so they can also take intense light.

 

We take all of our pictures in sunlight with a standard flash, so they aren’t jazzed up by some sort of funky lighting.  This is what they actually look like in the wild, so that’s about what they will look like when they leave our warehouse.  Once in your system, the colors may look slightly different and may even change over time as the zooxanthellae adjust to your lighting conditions.  In general with these zoanthids, stronger  light will turn them a darker brown and more subdued light will turn them a lighter brown.  Some polyps will even pick up a fluorescent green color on their oral disk under some lighting conditions, so be prepared for some possible pleasant surprises after a few months.

 

Zoanthids are partially photosynthetic and partially detritus feeders.  Since this species is from deeper water, in the wild it relies mainly on a daily shower of sediment and detritus, so you’ll need to regularly dust them with some sort of fine particle food to keep them in optimal health.  This species will grow quickly by budding at the base, and will quickly attach to whatever you put it on.  The colony will not be attached to any significant substrate and can easily be pulled apart and made into several smaller colonies.

 

We’ve added this line of nano zoanthid clusters for those of you who want to try some different colored zoanthids without spending too much money.  They are small clusters, so they will fit nicely in a nano tank.  They also ship real well by priority mail, so this is a great way to try some different zoanthids.

 

 

Care should be taken when handling these protopaylthoa and palythoa because their mucus contains a strong toxin called palytoxin that can cause severe skin irritations and permanent eye damage if handled improperly.  Use latex type gloves and protective glasses when handling or fragging these species.