Platygyra or another "brain coral"?

[livinlifeinBKK]

I was thinking about getting a new fish or a new coral or two and then thought to myself, why not one fish and a few corals since I'll get a discount if I buy 3 corals together. Two will be tester acros and i also saw this brain coral but am unsure if it's a Platygyra or belongs to a different genus. It's about $21 for a 3 inch frag so it's pretty inexpensive even without the discount so even though I'm trying not to spend too much it looks like a pretty cool piece and I've never kept one before. Here's a pic of it and some screenshots of Platygyra species as well as a picture of a coral commonly mistaken for a Platygyra species (second pic). Thoughts?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Also how common are they? I haven't seen them too often here.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@vetteguy53081
@ISpeakForTheSeas
Do you guys have any guesses?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like Maze brain coral AKA coral Maze

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Looks like Maze brain coral AKA coral Maze

Haha...any idea what genus it likely belongs to?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Haha...any idea what genus it likely belongs to?

I believe leptoria

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I'm curious because I always want to be sure I'm getting a fair deal...is $21 a good price for a 3 inch piece? What do they cost over there?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@vetteguy53081
@ISpeakForTheSeas
Do you guys have any guesses?

One of these days I’ll get around to learning coral ID, but, until then, @encrustingacro - any ideas from you?

 

[Goaway]

I'm curious because I always want to be sure I'm getting a fair deal...is $21 a good price for a 3 inch piece? What do they cost over there?

21 for us on less than half an inch, if lucky. Sounds like you're getting amazing prices.

Also , no idea on the id's though

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

21 for us on less than half an inch, if lucky. Sounds like you're getting amazing prices.

Also , no idea on the id's though

Corals are incredibly hard to ID even at genus level sometimes but species can be indistinguishable without any sort of genetic tests sometimes. Literally certain corals of the same species can have completely different growth forms depending on depth and of course the colors will be different due to environmental factors.

It sounded like a good price but since I don't know for sure the ID of this piece I really wasn't sure...

 

[Propane]

If you get it give it some space. Likes to swing it’s stingers around, some as long as 4 inches. I was told it’s a alien maze brain.

 

[Goaway]

Corals are incredibly hard to ID even at genus level sometimes but species can be indistinguishable without any sort of genetic tests sometimes. Literally certain corals of the same species can have completely different growth forms depending on depth and of course the colors will be different due to environmental factors.

It sounded like a good price but since I don't know for sure the ID of this piece I really wasn't sure...

For some coral, visuals are never enough. Place of collection can help sometimes.

For the territory I'm in, and lps mini colony at 20 dollars is a steal. Missing those days badly. Walk into petco, grab some random coral for less than 30, acclimate and enjoy.

I do hope you get an id. If I had to guess.
Platygara acuta.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

For some coral, visuals are never enough. Place of collection can help sometimes.

For the territory I'm in, and lps mini colony at 20 dollars is a steal. Missing those days badly. Walk into petco, grab some random coral for less than 30, acclimate and enjoy.

I do hope you get an id. If I had to guess.
Platygara acuta.

More important than the ID is that I enjoy it and love having it as part of my own "unique marine ecosystem". That's one of the things i love most about the hobby-the sheer diversity you can mix and match into your own unique creation. The possibilities are literally endless when it comes to marine aquariums. I'm incredibly thankful to be located where I currently am because I simply wouldn't be able to put together the unique little ecosystem I really want if I had to pay the prices that have become standard in America and Europe. Not only the prices, but some of the pieces we get are really one of a kind and there's just something extra special about having many unique pieces available for a great price vs having identical frags lined up in 5 rows of 10...just doesn't feel the same...

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@Goaway i mean take these Christmas Tree Worms on this massive piece of Porites for example. I paid the equivalent of a little less than 100 for it... Christmas Tree Worms in America I'd never even begin to afford a piece this size and colorful worms like this.

 

[Goaway]

@Goaway i mean take these Christmas Tree Worms on this massive piece of Porites for example. I paid the equivalent of a little less than 100 for it... Christmas Tree Worms in America I'd never even begin to afford a piece this size and colorful worms like this.

I do love those xmas worms. Glad you got a piece and hope you find some spawning secrets!

Anyhow, not trying to start any fires.
30-50$ frag size at a lot of vendors. We have to really shop around. Work with other hobbyists is a lot cheaper than fish stores and online vendors.
This is about half an inch.


It's madness over here.

I've seen you post some amazing pieces. Christmas worms are really on the deep end too.

 

[encrustingacro]

Looks to be a true Platygyra, might be Paragoniastrea. Do you have a clearer photo, possibly out of water so we could see it deflated? The way you tell even-septa Platygyra from true Paragoniastrea that Paragoniastrea has paliform lobes, which in some species, might not be visible when the coral is inflated.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I do love those xmas worms. Glad you got a piece and hope you find some spawning secrets!

Anyhow, not trying to start any fires.
30-50$ frag size at a lot of vendors. We have to really shop around. Work with other hobbyists is a lot cheaper than fish stores and online vendors.
This is about half an inch.


It's madness over here.

I've seen you post some amazing pieces. Christmas worms are really on the deep end too.

It would literally be a dream of mine to be able to grow out some of the rarer pieces we get over here and later ship them over to you guys for fair prices. I guarantee you even with shipping costs, they would be far less than what a lot of the shops sell for... especially the online ones. It's ironic that so much aquaculture takes place in America but then out of nowhere sellers here post pics of corals and color morphs people act like they've never seen before. I'm afraid it's only a dream for now though...shipping corals internationally is a serious legal thing.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Looks to be a true Platygyra, might be Paragoniastrea. Do you have a clearer photo, possibly out of water so we could see it deflated? The way you tell even-septa Platygyra from true Paragoniastrea that Paragoniastrea has paliform lobes, which in some species, might not be visible when the coral is inflated.

I'm picking it up either today or tomorrow...when I get it in my tank, sure!

 

[encrustingacro]

Also, for Platygyra and most other stony corals, it is not possible to identify them down to the species, even in the wild, as molecular data does not match up with interspecies morphological characteristics and species boundaries.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Also, for Platygyra and most other stony corals, it is not possible to identify them down to the species, even in the wild, as molecular data does not match up with interspecies morphological characteristics and species boundaries.

I'm unsure...if it weren't in any way possible, were J.E.N. Veron books just educated guesses? He's got a website with the species identified and pictured.