Hi Jim,

I read you message with heartfelt agreement. I had a stroke many
years ago and now am a poor swimmer and diving is definitely off
limits. It means that I cannot see jewel, tube, policeman, cluster
anemones and Devon cup-coral etc. in the wild.

I have also been wondering if there is a member of the diving
commutity out there who could get some specimens of anemones for
me. The trouble is, most modern divers are brought up in a
conservation mode and look down on us "collectors". It used to find
a similar mindset sometimes when I worked for a museum service. I
did taxonomic work and there is no way you can do that without
collecting and preserving specimens. I collected a lot but I also
described several new species for the UK and for science.

I too would go anywhere to collect the specimens. I would love a
tank of green and pink jewel anenones. (Guernsey, there they grow on
pontoons in a marina according to R Lord's photos).

I am interested in your tank set up. What type of chiller do you use
how much did it cost? How well dose it work? I have several tanks
of coldwater beasts, the largest being 5foot long but it can get up
almost 20 degrees in the summer which is too warm for eg.Dahlia
anemones. I need to chill it in some way. I also have a 5foot tank
of tropical marines that contains corals and anemones from warmer
waters. There are several Aptasia anemones which are "pest" species
in it but I have never seen the trumpet anemone from UK.

I like anemones and I think that a tank full of just anemones is
fabulous. I had a Sepiola, see above, but one day I checked the tank
and it was nowhere to be seen, despite searching every square inch.
The answer, I think, lay in a very fat snakelocks anemone.

I have never seen Diadumene cincta, where do you collect it from.

I have mainly plumose and Sagartia troglodytes which are common in
the sea off Norfolk. I have a considerable number of the latter,
various colour combinations and some are S. troglodytes for sure and
some of them I not too sure about. Sagartia is such a
variable "species" that I shall watch them and wait and see. I have
a couple of daisy anemones from Hants for comparison.

My beadlets also loose their colour and become washed out pinky
brown. I think it is a lack of "vitamens". Tube worms do much the
same, they are bright orange/red when I collect them but the fans
fade to a pale pinky grey in time.

I am off to Ireland next week but I shall be back in a couple of
weeks. I too am going down to the SW in Sept. When there are low
tides. You never know what you will find, with luck.

Dick

Dersingham,
Norfolk

rej@...