TonyInVa February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 I have googled it but can't find the answer. Where do Zoanthids grow naturally? What are all the regions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 I quickly scanned "Aquarium Corals" by Eric Borneman and "The Reef Aquarium, Vol. 2" by Julian Sprung and Charles Delbeek. Both say that zoanthids are very widely distributed (worldwide) but more so in warm waters. Borneman's book mentioned the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean, too. Neither source was any more specific. Googling zoantharia distribution, some in Japan are limited only by the colder water at higher latitudes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingOfAll_Tyrants February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 They grown in all tropical seas, at least. There are atlantic and pacific varieties. The are found in all sunlit zones of your typical tropical coral reef. There are at least a few cold water species, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 21, 2018 Author Share February 21, 2018 I was curious because I have snorkeled in many places in the Caribbean and have never seen any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingOfAll_Tyrants February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 Honestly, if you want to see them you have to know what species are in that area, roughly where to find them. Once that is done, asking some locals is important. One carribean species of some interest (because I thought I might have it), Palythoa mutuki, (one "green implosion" variant) IIRC has been found near cave openings. John Tullock, in his book on Natural Reef Aqauria, says that there are lots of lagoon-area rubble fields and patch reefs in the Florida Keys that have large green sea mat colonies. The cold water non-photosynthetic zoa I mentioned, Epizoanthus scotinus, lives in "vertical rock faces and overhangs" from SE Alaska to SoCal. I've only seen wild zoanthids once: in a very small branch of a fairly small tidepool, on Hawaii. (Honaunau, for those familiar with the place, at one of the tidepools on the rocks between two-step and the road. That being said, at high tide I've seen a small sea turtle in that tidepool; it's rather small but not really small. This means also of course that the pool has good access to the sea at high tide, so zoanthids are probably at other areas in the vicinity) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 Googling "Caribbean zoanthids" comes up with a few hits. Here's a gallery of some from St. John, USVI. They're apparently out there in places.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 I've seen them in several places around the Caribbean and Florida while diving. Without our bright lights the colors are usually muted so they don't jump right out at you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 Lest us not forget...Colin Ford was pulling zoanthids out of the channel in Miami. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 21, 2018 Author Share February 21, 2018 Lest us not forget...Colin Ford was pulling zoanthids out of the channel in Miami. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk You telling me this was what got me thinking that i should be able to see some on my next trip to the Caribbean. But didnt know where. Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neto February 21, 2018 Share February 21, 2018 I saw some blue ones in Puerto Rico right on the shore, they get exposed to air every few hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy February 23, 2018 Share February 23, 2018 I know for sure they have them in my home country Vietnam, and lots of clams too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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