Help identifying New coral

[pr_diver]

I recently received some live rock and frags from a friend to start my nano 5.5gallon. Things have gone great the last 3 weeks but I have no idea what I'm looking at any help Id'ing would be awesome.

This coral is my favorite:

And his friend on top:

Also have this piece, a frag.of it broke off and I plan on attaching it to the bottle next to it tonight:

Any help making an ID and any information would be awesome!

 

[blaxsun]

Yes, they're gonioporas. The "friend" looks like it could be a zoanthid.

 

[pr_diver]

Thank you, I appreciate the quick response!

 

[Cell]

More like bernardpora I think.

 

[Rennurdoar]

Yes, they're gonioporas. The "friend" looks like it could be a zoanthid.

I don't think they're Goni's. They only have 12 polyps. Maybe Alveoporas? But it looks more like a close up picture of an encrusting SPS to me. Do any of them extend out, or is that as far as the polyps extend?

The frag piece looks like a type of stylophora to me also. The friend looks like a small feather duster.

 

[blaxsun]

I don't think they're Goni's. They only have 12 polyps. Maybe Alveoporas? But it looks more like a close up picture of an encrusting SPS to me. Do any of them extend out, or is that as far as the polyps extend?

The frag piece looks like a type of stylophora to me also. The friend looks like a small feather duster.

If they're alveoporas, they're really weird (they usually extend out a lot further). It's possible that they're a bernardpora (as suggested) - although the polyps are a lot larger in size than mine (this bernardpora in my reef is about 5" in length).

 

[pr_diver]

The polyps only extend that far currently, the friend at top is a feather duster cute orange and green one, he's coming out of a old hole in the live rock. I do know all the coral came from the Caribbean Virgin Islands/Puerto Rico area.

Here's some better pictures: first of the frag, second is the green coral with the friend.

2nd coral with friend:

Also the green coral is 2.5in x 3in wide and 4in tall.

The frag is only 2.8in long, also below is the piece the frag broke from, hopefully will have time to glue the frag today.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Either short stem alveopora or bernardpora

 

[Rennurdoar]

My cousin it Gonis trying to sting what I was told were raspberry limeade gonis... I'm guessing they're Bernardpora though? They extend out about an eighth of an inch.

So many different varieties lol

 

[pr_diver]

Either short stem alveopora or bernardpora

Thank you, I'll do some more research!

 

[encrustingacro]

Definitely not Bernardpora. None of those pictures shown are Bernardpora either. True Bernardpora look like this:

I would say it’s either Acroporidae sp. or Poritidae sp.

 

[pr_diver]

So after showing a local Marine biologist she has identified the green ones as Madracis senaria. And the branching ones as Porites divaricata. She said they looked very healthy.

 

[VSVP bet]

these Caribbean corals? wild collected? are you keeping them in the 5.5 gallon?

 

[encrustingacro]

So after showing a local Marine biologist she has identified the green ones as Madracis senaria. And the branching ones as Porites divaricata. She said they looked very healthy.

Well, she's wrong, as Caribbean corals are not in the hobby.

 

[Kasrift]

these Caribbean corals? wild collected? are you keeping them in the 5.5 gallon?

Yeah, the OP said they are Caribbean. I would have guessed porites and the worm is a.star horseshoe. If the coral is a madracis, I had just posted asking about it. Let me know what your friend says is best for flow and lighting.

 

[VSVP bet]

Well, she's wrong, as Caribbean corals are not in the hobby.

not if it's wild and collected by a diver or friend or something. OP is located in PR, and said its from PR or virgin islands.

And thats not entirely true, there are plenty of porities species and gorgonians in this hobby from the Caribbean. Plus inverts, anemones, etc.

 

[pr_diver]

not if it's wild and collected by a diver or friend or something. OP is located in PR, and said its from PR or virgin islands.

And thats not entirely true, there are plenty of porities species and gorgonians in this hobby from the Caribbean. Plus inverts, anemones, etc.

Thank you VSVP, these were collected during a dive out here. So I'm pretty sure the biologists was talking about. They came from Culebra Island off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Yes those are in my 5 gallon QT/Frag tank

 

[encrustingacro]

not if it's wild and collected by a diver or friend or something. OP is located in PR, and said its from PR or virgin islands.

And thats not entirely true, there are plenty of porities species and gorgonians in this hobby from the Caribbean. Plus inverts, anemones, etc.

Sorry, I meant no stony corals are collected from the Caribbean.

 

[pr_diver]

Sorry, I meant no stony corals are collected from the Caribbean.

There are a few Non-profits that take local frags, and they grow them out for more fragging and replanting in our lagoon areas to help with restoration.

 

[encrustingacro]

There are a few Non-profits that take local frags, and they grow them out for more fragging and replanting in our lagoon areas to help with restoration.

Yes, but they don’t put them in the aquarium trade. The collection and sale of Caribbean stony corals has been banned since the 70s.