What are these white balls?

[Sarcothelia]

I couldn't get too clear of a picture of my own Protopalythoas, but mine have the same sort of whitish orange balls on them : Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Palythoa sp.

I was looking it up, but I guess nobody has anything posted on it. I know the ones in the link aren't Protopalythoa, but it looks essentially the same. Is it a means of reproduction?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Not sure what they are but I would also like to know, all of our brown button polyps in our large tank have them, but our green button polyps do not have them.

Here is a pic of mine

I circled a few in the pic, they are on every single one as far as I can see though.

 

[Sarcothelia]

Yep, that's pretty much it. They're mostly around the tentacles, right? I saw these things called zoa pox that looked similar but I guess they are only on zoanthus.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Yup along the edge of all the polyps, They have been there for a long time though and all my buttons are open and spreading still. I don't think it is causing any harm at all whatever it is but it would still be nice to know haha.

 

[iDream]

They might be pooping, caught my zoas the other day spewing something reddish purple out of their mouths, googled to find they were expelling waste

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

They might be pooping, caught my zoas the other day spewing something reddish purple out of their mouths, googled to find they were expelling waste

lol yah nope not pooping, these balls are attached to each polyp along the edges, they do not move and are always there.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

No ideas?? Here are a few more clearer shots, just make the image full sized and you can see the balls really easily.

 

[brian242pa]

would it be a good idea to put this into coral dip, i just have no idea, it cood be harmful or very good no clue

 

[Sarcothelia]

It's only on my button polyps like hers, mainly around the edges. I don't know what it is. I read up on zoa pox but apparently those are only on zoanthids? Time will tell if it's harmful, but I have exactly what she has.

And yea, not pooping. I've seen my zoanthids expelling reddish strands from their mouths, this is just a bunch of white balls attached around the tentacles of my Protopalythoas.

 

[the_fish_man]

Zoa pox can happen to palys it just doesn't harm them so that is my guess. Does it wipe off? If it doesnt then it is zoa pox. Only deadly to zoas.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Hmm yah they are like in the polyp, can it spread to the zoas in the tank? They have been on my buttons for at least a year but we don't have many zoas in the tank, they are still slowly growing in haha.

 

[Sarcothelia]

Oh okay I guess that makes sense. Also wondering if they can spread to elsewhere in the tank and infect my zoas. Thanks for the info though, thought only zoas could get it.