Lace Coral vs Fire Coral

[Lazylivin]

Hey guys, got a question for you. I bought these two corals off of Ebay. Seller had them listed as Fire Corals. I did some research and had my doubts but bought them anyway. So they arrived today and I took a picture. I would not be concerned normally with names but Lace Corals and Fire Corals have very different needs. Fire Coral lots of light and Lace Coral non photsynethitic. I emailed the seller and they said the invoice stated that they are fire coral. What do you think?

Lace Coral http://www.arkive.org/lace-corals/distichopora-spp/image-G34902.html?offset=0px
Fire Coral http://www.arkive.org/fire-corals/millepora-spp/image-G26429.html?offset=0px
Additional Resource http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/eb/index.php

My Picture

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/lazylivin/LaceCorals.jpg

Sellers Pictures

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/lazylivin/PC240228.jpg


http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/lazylivin/PC240229.jpg

[dendro982]

Don't have them, sorry, but I know that Colt at Ultimate Reef and e-Coralia has lace coral. You may ask him, in case if here will be not too many answers.

Cheers!

[stunreefer]

Touch them once they've been in your tank for a day or so. If its Millepora sp., you'll know it ;). You should see the little filamentous hairs coming off if its Millepora too. Lace coral does not sting.

My intial guess is that they're lace coral, which I know very little about. I've kept my fair share of Millepora sp. in the past though, and I've never seen one thats two toned or blue. Many exporters put wrong names on things that they're not sure on, or that will help the item sell (like Acanthastrea maxima for example), and in this case I'd suspect that it "looked like" fire coral so thats what they listed it as.

Keep us posted... those are some SICK colors and I'd love to get some of both depending on care, etc.

GL! :thumbsup:

[JamesJR]

Those are Distichopora corals, aka Lace corals. They are indeed non photosynthetic. I worked in the fish trade a few years back and there was a span of several months when we saw an influx of these corals in the trade. I have never personally handled or kept any of them.


http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sylasterina.htm

[stunreefer]

Interesting, thanks for the link James.

Per this "Their specialized feeding and defensive polyps are imbedded within star-shaped openings in their calcareous skeletons." I would expect them to need some phyto/zooplankton supplementation. It also said they "sometimes" deteriorate. I'm going to look into these guys a bit more...

[JamesJR]

I find it weird just how little Bob fenner wrote about keeping them. maybe they only feed at night?

[stunreefer]

I'm going to check in the Sprung/Delbeek series when I get home... I'm almost positive there is some info in there. I remember seeing them as I was paging through and thinking it was funny they looked like stonies, particularly SPS, but indeed were not true corals... kinda like Heliopora coerulea (Blue Ridge Coral).

[Elysia]

Borneman talks about Distichopora. I've never tried to keep one before, but noticed them at an LFS within the last 2 months or so.

From Borneman: they have no recirculating canal system; ahermatypic and aposymbiotic hydrocorals found in shaded and usually higher nutrient conditions, found growing under overhangs; dependent on plankton and absorption of nutrients for all their energy needs. Tend to fail due to dietary insufficiencies. Need steady, moderate current; laminar currents and regular feedings w/ natural or subsitute plankton.

Good luck with yours. They are neat looking animals.

[Lazylivin]

Bummer!, Sounds like they are going to be tough to keep healthy but will give it a shot. I just sold off some sun polyps becasue they were a pain to feed all the time. Thanks for the links and research!