The accidental fungia propagation...

[hlem]

Long story short, I bought this plate about 6-7 months ago to expand my collection.  Below pics is what it looked like for a good 5 or so months.

 

Upper right

 

 

Then about 2 months ago, it became like this, stop inflating, and eventually skeleto up.... very sad and pricey lost...

Upper Left

 

But I did not throw it away, I kept the skeleton under an overhang rock, kinda hidden away from the rest, not much light or flow at all.  

 

So today, as I was cleaning the tank, I picked it up just to blow some sand off it, and I notice a few speckles of color.  

 

Then upon a closer look...... 

 

SOOOOOO.....If i'm right, I'm going to have about 100+ baby plates in a few months, or I need to buy a bunch of peppermint shrimps for these aptasia. 

 

 

What does everyone think?

Edited May 6, 2014 by hlem

[zygote2k]

that's one of the ways that they reproduce. it's documented in the coral propagation book

[hypertech]

I've had fungia and acans do the same thing.

Edited May 7, 2014 by hypertech

[08can-am]

Pretty cool. I have aplate thats on its way out and ive heard this before. Im hoping for the same results. I also had asmall one I glued to a frag plug not knowing better. After a few months I popped it off. A month later a new one grew on the frag plug

 

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[Jan]

This is exactly how they reproduce. Amazing!! I want one.

[Sharkey18]

So cool! I want one two. When will they be ready? In about a year :-) ?

[Sharkey18]

For what it's worth I brought back a fungia from near death ( skeleton showing) by force feeding it mysis. It didn't have any tentacles to sweep food to the mouth so I would shove mysis shrimp in the center and stuff it down between the skeleton ridges. If it can eat, it might recover. Mine did. 

[hlem]

So cool! I want one two. When will they be ready? In about a year :-) ?

 

here is a growth progression of my last one which grew from 0.25" (july 2013) to like 1.5-2" (april 2014)

http://wamas.org/forums/topic/59643-fungia-growth/

 

so i should have ~1" babies in 4-6 months? if they make it. 

[JR-Tanked150]

That's so cool, are the all the same looking?

[hlem]

That's so cool, are the all the same looking?

 

they dont have much color yet, but i would assume since they are from the same "mother"

[JR-Tanked150]

I know nothing about propagation of fungia. Lol

Do you let them just grow on the skeleton or can you remove them?

[08can-am]

For what it's worth I brought back a fungia from near death ( skeleton showing) by force feeding it mysis. It didn't have any tentacles to sweep food to the mouth so I would shove mysis shrimp in the center and stuff it down between the skeleton ridges. If it can eat, it might recover. Mine did.

Csn they eat if the center is what died first?

 

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[hlem]

I know nothing about propagation of fungia. Lol

Do you let them just grow on the skeleton or can you remove them?

i dont know anything about propagating fungia either. but i will let them grow on the skeleton until i dont have to 20x zoom to see them.  I will glue them to frag plugs once they are big enough, maybe around 1/4-1/2"

[hlem]

So also 2 months now. here is an update. not much bigger, but seems to have a lot less babies now

 

But a few were big enough for me to cut them from the skeleton and glue onto frag plugs. Definitely showing colors of their mother.

1" plug

Edited June 28, 2014 by hlem

[JR-Tanked150]

They are so cute.

[gmerek2]

It pays to be observant in this hobby! Great catch you hit the jackpot!

[hlem]

finally some tentacles

[reefbox]

That is awesome

[wildcrazyjoker81]

Really awesome. Looking good man!

[Keraxis]

Is this how they reproduce?  You know you have everyone kicking themselves for tossing their "dead" plate corals now.

[davelin315]

Next time, don't cut up the skeleton. They will continue to pop babies out and when ready, they will detach.

 

Some will propagate plates by taking a razor blade and slicing between ridges. This damage is often enough to cause it to either separate or produce buds like you have.

[hlem]

Next time, don't cut up the skeleton. They will continue to pop babies out and when ready, they will detach.

 

Some will propagate plates by taking a razor blade and slicing between ridges. This damage is often enough to cause it to either separate or produce buds like you have.

 

i only cut 2 out for grow out. there are still plenty left on there. will try to take a pic later. they're all growing nicely.

[AlanM]

This is really cool.  Bizarre, and cool.  Coral always seem like nothing that should be on this planet.

[reefbox]

Is this how they reproduce? You know you have everyone kicking themselves for tossing their "dead" plate corals now.

 

Yea, I'm sure we all are...never again. Lol.

[Origami]

Next time, don't cut up the skeleton. They will continue to pop babies out and when ready, they will detach.

 

Some will propagate plates by taking a razor blade and slicing between ridges. This damage is often enough to cause it to either separate or produce buds like you have.

I'm going to try this someday. I saw it happening at Cowrie's house a couple of month's ago and thought it was pretty cool. The mother plate had generated dozens of smaller plates over time from an injury site. In fact, I have one of the babies (about 2 inches across) in my frag tank now.