Zoanthid? Coral?

[bromion]

I'm wondering if anyone can ID the organism covering the rock the Xenia is attached to. I thought it was a Zoanthid for some reason, but after checking it out I am not so sure. Any ideas?

 

[troutman11111]

looks like hairy mushroom

 

[GinaD]

That's funny - I bought a piece of LR with that same type of brown xenia, along with mushrooms. That's just what that looks like to me, too.

Shortly after putting the rock in my tank, one of the mushrooms moved off to another rock. Guess it wanted more real-estate to stretch out.

 

[Fluff]

Is it a single polyp? Or is it encrusting on the rock? It could be a fuzzy mushroom as mentioned.

 

[bromion]

Is it a single polyp? Or is it encrusting on the rock? It could be a fuzzy mushroom as mentioned.

It's definitely encrusting the rock.

 

[Fluff]

That makes ID'ing it a bit more complicated. It could be an sps coral then but I'm no good with them, sorry.

 

[GinaD]

Does it look like it has a center - like a mouth?

 

[bromion]

Does it look like it has a center - like a mouth?

No, it looks like a carpet of brown/green, which is why I first thought it was a Zoanthid not a coral. But it's definitely clinging to the rock, and I see no obvious center or mouth.

 

[ccCapt]

But it's definitely clinging to the rock, and I see no obvious center or mouth.

I see a mouth and when you say it's clinging to the rock it makes me think ricordia of some type.

 

[bromion]

I see a mouth and when you say it's clinging to the rock it makes me think ricordia of some type.

Unfortunately, that's an optical illusion in the picture caused by the curvature of the rocks. It looks pretty uniform over the surface of the rock.

I will try to get some better pictures.

 

[bromion]

Here are some more images of the creature. Perhaps this will help.

 

[Fluff]

Those pics are much better but I still couldn't give a guess. Hopefully some others will be buy and give you a hand.

 

[ccCapt]

My guess is some type of encrusting acropora. Possibly acropora abrolhensis.

http://www.masla.com/coral/sps.html

 

[bromion]

I think you're right on it being SPS. After the suggestion, I looked through all the SPS pictures in "Aquarium Corals" book, and I think it might be a Pachyseris speciosa. It has "no visible polyps or tentacles" and my bright light makes its tips green ("A light-inducible green flourescent pigment may turn brown colonies to a flourescent green-brown under strong lighting conditions.").

 

[ccCapt]

Here is a pachyseris sp....definitely not what you have. This coral is also known as elephant skin coral.

 

[bromion]

I guess it has very small polyps (are the green tips polyps?). The green "tips" protrude about 1mm from the brown base covering, and wave around with the current. The book indicated that Acropora have characteristic white tips, which I do not observe here (it's brown and green).

 

[bromion]

Here are some better pictures. I moved the coral to the front of the tank. Click the images for a larger view.





Jason

 

[ccCapt]

I'm still thinking some type of encrusting acropora. Maybe you should send me a frag so I can ge a better look.

 

[hisc1ay]

What's funny is those bottom pics look almost nothing like what the original pics made it look like.

-j

 

[Reefer Guy]

What you have is a Hydnophora coral.. Really nice species its a true reef builder coral, What ever you are doing keep doing it.. I have a really beautiful coloney of it .It came in as a little speck on a Milli ..base rock