Looking for some help with this one. Its clearly an octacoral, my original thought was some type of encrusting gorgonia given its growth pattern, but I'm not sure. Appreciate any help anybody can give.
Help with Softie (Octacoral) ID
- Thread starter Wy Renegade
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OP
OP
I don't think its a type of xenia (but could be wrong). The tentacles are not feathery as xenia typically are and it certainly doesn't pulse. The growth pattern/base is also completely different than any xenia I've had in the past. The base is much harder for one thing.
Anthony Calfo
Active Member
Youmight find this surprising, but that looks casually to me like Tubipora. A tube coral akin to star polyp and indeed some encrusting gorgs. But Tubipora when collected properly actually grows amazingly easy. It was one of the first corals I started growing in my discus hatcher ~ 20 years ago. I grew it on tupperware bowls (LOL)
Take a really close look at the stoloniferous base for evidence of the beginnings of Tubipora structures. Compare polyps closeups too with google images if you can't find good ones. If not I can send you high res macro shots.
This rock you have may well have been touching a rock in the previous dealers tank (if a fresh rock) where Tubipora was growing, or planulae may have simply grown large enough to see (brought in from any of a number of things you could have added in the last 4+ months
I'm curious...
cheers
Take a really close look at the stoloniferous base for evidence of the beginnings of Tubipora structures. Compare polyps closeups too with google images if you can't find good ones. If not I can send you high res macro shots.
This rock you have may well have been touching a rock in the previous dealers tank (if a fresh rock) where Tubipora was growing, or planulae may have simply grown large enough to see (brought in from any of a number of things you could have added in the last 4+ months
I'm curious...
cheers
OP
OP
Thanks Anthony, I've had this one now about three years or so? Can't remember off the top of my head, I'll have to go back and reference pictures. It does grow pretty quickly. I googled, but couldn't find any good pictures - most hits were on pipe organ coral. If you could send me some high resolution macros or post them up here that would be cool. Thanks much
Could it be waving hand coral, anthelia. Mine have a purpleish color to it.
Anthony Calfo
Active Member
Well...let's whittle this down. First, are the polyps contractile or retractile? They don't appear to fully retract to me (the nodule on the stalks below halfway down suggest contracting into a tube...hence the logical guesses in this thread for tube corals: Briareum or Tubipora (commonly mistaken). This specimen is more akin, in fact, to Clavularia type waving hands...but not likely Xeniid types.
Secondly, if you cut away at the stoloniferous base (how 'bout using this excuse to make a frag?) do you see any calcareous structure at all? This is clearly a soft coral...but then again, so is Pipe Organ (Tubipora).
For assistance, use this guide and query if you have more questions please:
http://www.utahreefs.com/articles/Dichotomous%20key%20for%20soft%20corals.pdf
Secondly, if you cut away at the stoloniferous base (how 'bout using this excuse to make a frag?
) do you see any calcareous structure at all? This is clearly a soft coral...but then again, so is Pipe Organ (Tubipora).For assistance, use this guide and query if you have more questions please:
http://www.utahreefs.com/articles/Dichotomous%20key%20for%20soft%20corals.pdf
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OP
OP
Well...let's whittle this down. First, are the polyps contractile or retractile? They don't appear to fully retract to me (the nodule on the stalks below halfway down suggest contracting into a tube...hence the logical guesses in this thread for tube corals: Briareum or Tubipora (commonly mistaken). This specimen is more akin, in fact, to Clavularia type waving hands...but not likely Xeniid types.
Secondly, if you cut away at the stoloniferous base (how 'bout using this excuse to make a frag?
Ok, sorry I'm slow on this, had to wait till I was back at school to be able to check some things out. The polyps do retract, but not 100% - even when fully retracted there are still nobes on top of the base. The base as a stated previously is hard, much harder than say a xenia, and even a kenya tree or colt coral which I would describe a being more "meaty". This is harder to cut, but its more breaking than cutting almost. There is no evidence of calcification visible to the naked eye. But since I just happen to have a microscope or two lying around, I stuck the new frag under a microscope to examine the cut end. While the tissue portion does not look calcified, there appears to be some calcification material beneath it.
Using the key you linked, it appears to be a type of anthelia, but also could be erythropodium. At any rate I now have two good sized frags, as the piece I had pictured was actually a frag off the main colony which you could vaguely see on the rock work behind it.
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