Blue Anthelia
We’re going to shift gears with this week’s AquaNerd Picture of the Week. We are still going to show you aquarium livestock that we have photographed, but instead of throwing something out there from a recent weekend trip to the fish store, we’re getting all nostalgic and showing off our very first POTW. Published way back in May 2009, our first picture focused on a dense little patch of blue anthelia, otherwise known as snowflake polyps.
Over the years, snowflake polyps have sort of lost favor with most hobbyists. Like most anthelia and other soft corals, this blue snowflake grows like a weed. It will pop up on every untouched surface in the aquarium if it isn’t kept in check, and it’s an annoyance to many, many people. That said, it’s quite attractive with its blue/purple coloration, and novice aquarists can certainly appreciate their hardiness.
On a side note, look at how blurry that image is. It’s amazing how our camera skills have improved over the years, as we’ve matured in that hobby right alongside our aquarium hobby.
Also note that the image from the original POTW has become corrupted. We’ll see what we can do to replace it.
