Found this interesting cluster last month, and am not sure what it is.
Any help is appreciated!

Help is hopefully on it's way Shiela, I just mentioned this to Ellen Muller on FB

Can you give an idea of size? Hard to judge with the references in the picture. My guess is that the whole area is about 12" by 6"? Making the little balls about 1/4"?

e.

Some sort of anemone? It's beautiful whatever it is!

Ellen???

I have this lurking dread that we're going to find out it's a clutch of lionfish eggs. LOL.

e.

P.S. It's not. I looked at some images and this looks nothing like them.

(Message edited by herk_man on February 11, 2011)

Here's another closer look. I just zoomed my picture and cropped part of it. I can now see some sort of clear, anemone finger things with the white balls attached. Eric, I can't really remember the size, but I don't think it was bigger than your 12"x6" or so.

could be a knobby anemone perhaps

Brenda- thanks, that just may be it! Strange, I've never seen that before and at first glance (and second & third) it looked like a patch of eggs. Here is another zoom of the individual knobs-wow, what detail we sometimes miss!

Might be a sun anemone.
The detail is lacking in my reef creature book.

I think Brenda is right. Went and did some poking around on the web after she mentioned it and this looks very much like what is out there for that species.

e.

Looks like a corkscrew anemone to me.
yah it could be a knobby ...


(Message edited by modtim on February 11, 2011)

Ellen Muller Concurs.. a knobby anemone

Much thanks, everyone! I'm still going through my 1800+ pictures, and this one had me stumped...but it is beautiful.

Say 'knobby anemome' quickly 10 times.

I can't hardly say it once, much less 10 times...and quickly??? LOL, it is quite the tongue twister.
Try "Toy Boat" a few times quickly...makes me feel quite stupid!

Cool!
I did consider the Sun Anemone, but, it is in the the blanket family, and clearly this was not a blanket type.
And, the corkscrew anemone , is very dainty and frilly, with clear corkscrews (swirly things) projecting.