Rock Flower Anemones (taxonomically in the Phymanthidae family) represent a species that arguably offers the best bang for buck in the industry. This species is native to the Caribbean, inhabiting areas from close to shore to 100 feet deep. Often, when they’re first brought in, they’re 1-2 inches, but they can get quite large on average, about 4-5 inches, and on occasion, some grow to around 8 inches. Not only are they hardy and easy to care for, but they also come in an array of dazzling colors that few other species in the trade can match in terms of diversity.
The hardest colors to add to your tank (especially in inexpensive corals and anemones) are yellow, lilac, and pink. Rock flowers often have all these colors and more in neon varieties compared to the subdued pastel fluorescent pink and yellow found in some other species. If you’re looking for a rainbow of color in your system, rock flowers can act as the final piece of the puzzle if you’re looking for a particular color without breaking the bank.
My favorite variety of rock flowers has always been the “zebra” phenotypes, which sport intricate alternating lash colors and a pinwheel pattern around the mouth, appearing as striping.
Another favorite is any of the chimera rock flowers, which likely occurred from two zygotes/planula settling in the exact location, manifesting in one anemone with the expression of two or more phenotypes along a clear division in the body plan of the anemone.
An example of the coloration you can find in RFA’s image from Queen City Corals
These species retail for around $25-50 a piece (excluding prized specimens). If multiples are kept together, they can also sexually reproduce, leading to tiny pinhead-sized anemones popping up all over a system.
Another fun aspect of having them in a tank is their ability to host other commensal species such as anemone shrimps and crabs adding an extra dimension of life to any system.
For a long time, these anemones have been a staple in reef keeping. My current fear is that their availability will decrease or become nonexistent due to regulations in the coming years. After the record high temperatures and massive bleaching events in the Caribbean in the last two years, many rock flowers that enter the market have become bleached and unhealthy compared to the stock that used to make its way to consumers. I can see a world where if more bleaching events occur, regulations may increase around the Caribbean-collected livestock to bar more species from trade besides stony corals.
This means that the time to buy is now while some of the stock is still healthy. Out of all the stores and facilities I have toured over the last year, the healthiest rock flowers I saw were from Vibrant Corals and Fish in Irving, Texas. During my visit, I was impressed by the collection, size, and the fact the flowers they had in their possession were not bleached.
A “zebra” type RFA from Tidal Gardens
I plan to start a system at the studio where I try to keep as many of my favorite rock flower phenotypes as possible. This will showcase their beauty and highlight the simplicity of keeping them, as well as act as a gene bank of sorts in case things do go south in terms of their collection.
In the coming years, we can continue to have our flowers reproduce and rear their offspring so they can still be in the hobby, even if the collection is compromised due to the diminishing health of the wild population or increased regulations.
