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(edited)

I finally got up to Mr. Coral (Saturday... free ricordia weekend :) to use the $100 gift certificate from the raffle. Got a few little things, one of which was this thing for which I need an ID. I was told this was a type of nuclear green zoanthid but I have never seen a zoanthid recess its polyps rather than just close them.

 

idopen.jpg

idclose.jpg

Edited by treesprite
I finally got up to Mr. Coral (Saturday... free ricordia weekend :) to use the $100 gift certificate from the raffle. Got a few little things, one of which was this thing for which I need an ID. I was told this was a type of nuclear green zoanthid but I have never seen a zoanthid recess its polyps rather than just close them.

 

idopen.jpg

idclose.jpg

 

I know, I know...that's pistachio brittle! :biggrin: I couldn't resist :blush:

(edited)

Count the polyp's tentacles. 24 tentacles is a Goniopora, 12 tentacles is Alveopora. Alveopora is much easier to keep alive than Goniopora.

Edited by Sugar Magnolia
(edited)

would this be an aggressive coral? If so, that might explain why the things sitting next to it aren't opening.... I need specific IDs on those as well but I can't very well get IDs on things that aren't opening up and smiling for pictures (2 types zoas, 1 type paly, 1 that looks like clove polyps but very short compared to pictures I've seen). I got a bubble coral frag as well as those, and a couple pieces of liverock, and of course the free ricordia.

Edited by treesprite

yes it is, give it some room. def lps either goniopora or avelopora. Which leads me to ask why did u get something when you didnt know it is?

yes it is, give it some room. def lps either goniopora or avelopora. Which leads me to ask why did u get something when you didnt know it is?

 

Because someone TOLD her it was a zoanthid colony. :)

 

bob

May also be a turbina coral

 

I'm with Nadir on this one. Looks like a little turbinaria, a.k.a. Pagoda Cup Coral to me:

 

Turbinaria

 

Hardy and easy to keep LPS, and not very aggressive.

Because someone TOLD her it was a zoanthid colony. :)

 

bob

Thanks for the rescue :)

 

It was in a section that was all zoanthids and there were various types of green ones (his zoa selection is very limited), with Sonny telling me that this coral was some type of nuclear green zoanthids. Given his statement, I saw no reason to hold the coral out of the water to examine the piece of rock it is on.

 

I'm hearing that this type of coral is hard to keep so I may end up getting rid of it so it doesn't ultimately die on me. It didn't extend the polyps for the first couple of days at home, but now is opened like that first picture.

 

I moved the stuff that was next to it a couple inches away but don't have room to move anything further because they are all in my sump right now until I get my tank put back together. I did notice some kind of very long sweeper in there last night but don't know the source. I really don't think there is room in my tank for something that is terribly aggressive.

If you are really thinking of getting rid of it, I would pm sonny or give him a call at the store. He's usually pretty good at making sure the customer is happy.

In my experience with both of these corals, the individual corallites are recessed, not pronounced, so in my book it's neither goniopora nor alveopora. Plus, I don't believe that you can frag goniopora without it receding quickly (plus the tentacle count). I'm guessing more of a turbinaria.

Also, goniopora and alveopora tend to have corallites right next to each other, no spaces in between. Oh, and it doesn't look too healthy to me. Seems like the polyps retract all the way into the skeleton and there's no flesh between or covering the corallite, suggestive of loss of tissue to me. Pretty with the extension, but doesn't look healthy overall.

I like discussions like this, learned a lot. Now I just have to get the corals of the world book!

Went back and counted tentacles on the first picture, the one I counted had more than 24 tentacles. Definitely not a goniopora or alveopora. I'm doubting turbinaria as well, now, since they also don't have that many tentacles from what I remember of mine. They also don't appear to be the crater polyps as those are more like a sea mat or a continuous colony of palys. Looked again and now I'm leaning towards Solenastrea or Oculina, more towards the Solenastrea, though (not from experience, from looking at the skeleton).

Went back and counted tentacles on the first picture, the one I counted had more than 24 tentacles. Definitely not a goniopora or alveopora. I'm doubting turbinaria as well, now, since they also don't have that many tentacles from what I remember of mine. They also don't appear to be the crater polyps as those are more like a sea mat or a continuous colony of palys. Looked again and now I'm leaning towards Solenastrea or Oculina, more towards the Solenastrea, though (not from experience, from looking at the skeleton).

Wow, thanks for the investigating - I will look those corals up.

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