What is this thingy that came with my coral.

[MERKEY]

pretty sure thats a gorgonian. That isnt what the other pic is.

Just out of curiosity...I've been in the hobby for a long time and I'm wondering how you know for certain this is not a gorg? Or for certain it isn't the other corals mentioned?

I love learning new things!

If there is something you see that leads you away or towards something else I'd love to learn!

 

[F i s h y]

Just out of curiosity...I've been in the hobby for a long time and I'm wondering how you know for certain this is not a gorg? Or for certain it isn't the other corals mentioned?

I love learning new things!

If there is something you see that leads you away or towards something else I'd love to learn!

In my opinion, and i have many of them, based on the morphology of the polyp distribution, the presence of sclerites in the coral tissue that are visible and the branching appearance of this, it is definately a coral. the real question is does it belong to the capnella genus, which includes things like colt coral, kenya tree coral, and other well known soft leathers, or does it belong to the larger family Neptheidae. Having personally kept nearly all of the various types of leathers available in the hobby, My feeling is that this is indeed a kenya tree coral that is a small frag. Once the coral grows larger it will take on the more characteristic shape the OP is used to. We see this commonly with all manner of coral, acros, leathers, etc where the frag looks nothing like the larger colony until it has had some time to grow.

Also HI @MERKEY Hope the coral garden is still flourishing. The Gorg you posted is commonly called a giant split pore i beleive. I sent one to @Lost in the Sauce when i visited him in Cali. it was a tall hairy (tightly packed large polyps) thick gorg.

 

[MERKEY]

In my opinion, and i have many of them, based on the morphology of the polyp distribution, the presence of sclerites in the coral tissue that are visible and the branching appearance of this, it is definately a coral. the real question is does it belong to the capnella genus, which includes things like colt coral, kenya tree coral, and other well known soft leathers, or does it belong to the larger family Neptheidae. Having personally kept nearly all of the various types of leathers available in the hobby, My feeling is that this is indeed a kenya tree coral that is a small frag. Once the coral grows larger it will take on the more characteristic shape the OP is used to. We see this commonly with all manner of coral, acros, leathers, etc where the frag looks nothing like the larger colony until it has had some time to grow.

Dang it J, I wanted tweantyleagues to try!!! I tried to set it all up nice and everything now he will just say he knew what u said already lol

Love the explanation tho!!

 

[F i s h y]

Dang it J I wanted tweantyleagues to try!!! I tried to set it all up nice and everything now he will just say he knew what u said already lol

Love the explanation tho!!

I totally missed the teaching moment, also i edited my post, had the wrong name on the gorg.

 

[ChiCity]

I sent one to @Lost in the Sauce when i visited him in Cali. it was a tall hairy (tightly packed large polyps) thick gorg.

… keep going

 

[TiltedReef]

Looks like Xenia that is still acclimating. Polyps close up like that after transport or agitation. Wait 24 hours and it will likely resemble the xenia already in your tank once the polyps expand.

There are multiple types of xenia that don't always look like the standard pulsing xenia we all know. The pic highly resembles the polyp shape of my red xenia when they get agitated or feed from me broadcasting reef roids.

 

[MERKEY]

… keep going

I remember those pics

 

[F i s h y]

I remember those pics

It wasn't very pretty but last i heard it was really growing for him...

 

[twentyleagues]

Just out of curiosity...I've been in the hobby for a long time and I'm wondering how you know for certain this is not a gorg? Or for certain it isn't the other corals mentioned?

I love learning new things!

If there is something you see that leads you away or towards something else I'd love to learn!

Lol. It is what it is. I have also been in the hobby a long time and I still learn new stuff all the time. I am not going to say anything like @fishy said. But I know a gorg when I see a gorg and what you have is not a gorg. Gorgonians have a central structure that polyps are on your coral does not. I sound uneducated because I dont use the scientific structure names or scientific names of corals but I am not uneducated, just lazy. That is a soft coral of some type not a gorg they are different.......

 

[vetteguy53081]

I dont thubk its a pulsing xenia either, already have one in my tank look.

pom pom xenia

 

[twentyleagues]

pom pom xenia

I think @MERKEY knows what it is, hes just newb fishing. Or maybe better yet he knows what it isnt.

 

[person]

Wow, these are alot of replies, thabks all for your help and after further research or inspection i believe this coral is a small NEPTHIA! Although it is not seen well in my image it looks alot like this obe for sale! I have never heard of a nepthia, is it a hardy coral, is it rare? Whats it like??