ID Please?

[zeppelin]

Noticed this as a hitchiker on one of my zoanthids. The polyps are an aqua blue with pink centers. I'm thinking its some kind of monti, but does anyone have a more positive ID?

http://www.edensgatecorals.com/sps/monti1.jpg

Thanks

Larry

[zeppelin]

Not sure why you have to do a refresh for the pic to show?

[Justin74]

Im guessing goniopora.

-Justin

[BLKTANG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9961017#post9961017 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Justin74
Im guessing goniopora.

-Justin


I agree

[zeppelin]

The polyps dont extend at all though. They open up, but there is no 'stalk' like any of the gonipora I have seen.

[Justin74]

Not extending a stalk is just as common IME, especially with the red and encrusting variations.

-Justin

[JokerGirl]

Not enough tents to be Goniopora... maybe alveopora but I doubt it.

[zeppelin]

Each polyp has 12 tentacles. I think thats the correct amount for gonipora. Alveopora is 8, right? I'll have to look into the gonipora a bit further.

[Justin74]

Ones 24 and the others 12. I thought I remember reading John Kelly say the same thing jokergirl, so I dunno. But do know it does look very similar to alot of the red encrusting entitled "goni's" coming in. Also have to admit I have not seen one quite as nice as the coloration on this piece:)

-Justin

[Justin74]

Btw, any chance of squeezing a few different pics out of her, it be nice to see the difference between extended and closed.

-Justin

[zeppelin]

I'll try and get a couple more shots tomorrow.

[Justin74]

Now Im all over the place!:lol: Im really starting to think its not what I was guessing, and you could be right man, it could be a monti :lol2: Perportioned to the zoanthids nearby, I would expect to see more spaced polyps, with cavities similar to the width of a zoanthid actually.
Ok I'll stop now!;)

-Justin

[zeppelin]

Ya, and the polyps are only about 1/3 the size of the zoanthid polyps. Pretty small, like encrusting monti. Just not seen polyps this color on a monti before, and the base structure is a little more rough than the montis I have had. I'll try and get it positioned better to get a couple closer shots tomorrow. Thanks for all the help so far. :)

[JokerGirl]

Justin, you are correct.

Goniopora have 24 tentacles surrounding the mouths while Alveopora only have 12.... hehehe JK has been teaching me some stuff about them :) :) There's a thread of mine on his site that's been running for several months now... started with me acquiring a rather rare extremely large specimen that had brown jelly

[zeppelin]

Here's a pic with the polyps retracted. Now I'm not sure at all. Almost looks like leptastrea.......:confused:

http://www.edensgatecorals.com/sps/monti2.jpg

For size comparison, the coral is only about an inch across, total, maybe a little less.

[zeppelin]

Another pic of the polyps a little clearer. The color is washed out a bit, but a better idea of the polyp shape.

http://www.edensgatecorals.com/sps/monti3.jpg

[Justin74]

Well dang mang!:D You just made me flop back over! Definately an LPS. And not a Leptastrea (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=835168) . Look at the skeletal structure near the edge how its sticking out like an echinophyllia or acan ech., thing is fabulous man.
Ok, Im gonna be looking into this one over the weekend, by Neptune we'll have a Genus ID on that bad boy by sundown on Sunday! ;)

-Justin

[zeppelin]

Ya, when I took these pics, I was pretty sure it was lps, and not sps. I noticed all those small skeletal spikes. Wish I could change the title of the thread and move it to the lps ID forum. :)

Hey Mods..... would you change the title to ID Please, and move it over for me? ;)

[Project Reef]

[moved]

[zeppelin]

Thanks. :cool:

[Project Reef]

No problemo. Sweet coral too!

[joetbs]

It's Astreopora sp.

Cool contrast.

joe

[elegance coral]

I don't know what it is but if you ever want to get rid of that nasty old hitch hiker just look me up.

[zeppelin]

I have a purple Astreopora. I dont think its that. Their skeleton is more of a bump out where the polyp is, where mine is sunken in more where the polyp is. Here's an Astreopora.

http://www.corallibrary.info/data/517/41Astreopora_listeri1.jpg

[joetbs]

It still has some bumps on the skeleton, and the polyps are pretty exclusive to Astreopora.

I have several different species that have slightly different bumps on the skeleton, and some that started the same as that on hitchhiker rocks. It is a very widespread coral, just not collected too often. The polyps are always the same though.

joe

[Justin74]

Actually, there is a peice almost identicle to it being sold on ebay from the guys at New Alemeda Aquatics. It's being sold as a rare goniopora colormorph. Jim aka "bookfish" has alot of experience at collecting and receiving some unusual corals. He's seen lots of astreopora and gonis so Im inclined to believe him on this one. Go to ebay and type "Rare Multi Color Goniopora" and look for yourself :)

-Justin

[Project Reef]

As Joe mentioned, the original coral in question is Astreopora.

The one on eBay is a goni. The multicolors are actually not that uncommon now-a-days, at least if you live in So Cal and have a good eye.

[joetbs]

http://www.trieu-exotics.com/Ebay/5-18-07/2-s.jpg

Doesn't even look close Justin...

I'm sticking with Astreopora. I think I've seen enough in my time. Will post some pics of a few oddballs next week...

joe

[Justin74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9979396#post9979396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Project Reef
As Joe mentioned, the original coral in question is Astreopora.


is not ;)

Similar but I went through all species they have listed as Astreopora, although some similar, none of them looked even close to it IMO. Almost all of them have that distintual raised coralite wall with an immersed septa giving it a conical or bump shape.

I dont believe its a goni but still on the fence as an alveopora. Ive found a couple of alveo' specie to have very similar outgrowth skeletal structures.

The fact that the polyps reside in a concave shape as opposed to a convexed should help rule out astreopora.

Not trying to pick a fight, but couldnt help but notice the oxymoron.
"The multicolors are actually not that uncommon now-a-days, at least if you live in So Cal and have a good eye."
For the rest of the world that doesnt live in So Cal, that would make it pretty uncommon, let alone having a good eye :)


-Justin

[Project Reef]

Sorry Justin, we will have to disagree on this one. That's an Astreopora.

Regarding: "The multicolors are actually not that uncommon now-a-days, at least if you live in So Cal and have a good eye."

I should have put a smiley :D after it. An evil smiley would have been even better. :D

[humanremainz]

it's a long tentecle asteopora, i have 1 very similar , but mine's aqua green with pink splotches on it .....it came from Vietnam as a hitchhiker....

[Justin74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9979520#post9979520 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Project Reef
I should have put a smiley :D after it. An evil smiley would have been even better. :D

Ideed!:lol2:

-Justin

[zeppelin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9979557#post9979557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by humanremainz
it's a long tentecle asteopora, i have 1 very similar , but mine's aqua green with pink splotches on it .....it came from Vietnam as a hitchhiker....

Well, there's a commonality at least. Mine came in with Vietnam stuff also.

[Justin74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9979458#post9979458 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joetbs
Doesn't even look close Justin...

joe

Unknown:
http://www.edensgatecorals.com/sps/monti3.jpg
known Astreopora
http://www.corallibrary.info/data/517/41Astreopora_listeri1.jpg
common goni
http://www.trieu-exotics.com/Ebay/5-18-07/2-s.jpg

Which one looks closer...
Doesnt mean it is but dang! :p

-Justin

[humanremainz]

Well that isn't the best pic of Asteopora and the Gonipora isn't open ,the coral in question is for sure not a Goni. It took me so ling to log in to RC today(reset password and waiting for the password reset emails to come) i cannot remember what my point was for typing this reply.........maybee it will come back 2 me .