Acropora efflorescens??

[Bill@IA]

From everything I have looked at it appears that these two Acropora are indeed Acropora efflorescens.
Hoping the ID experts here will be able to confirm or ID for me.

Thank you in advance.

[MammothReefer]

no, more likely a soli. Efflos coralites are straight cut and tubular. While solis are rounder and more mound like. (efflo below)

http://sdmas.com/corals/images/large/827bw-01.jpg

[Bill@IA]

MammothReefer,

Thank you. I have seen that photo you posted here. It was in the SDMAS Coral Library...but the other photos associated with this photo on the SDMAS page, leave me to believe the Acropora I have here is an Efflo. Of course one could make a strong case for the solitaryensis until you look closer at the edge of my acro.

IMHO, My acro does not have the branch like ends of a soli.

[MammothReefer]

Both efflos, and Solis may or may not have branching ends. That isn't something you should use for identification..

This is an efflo
http://sdmas.com/corals/images/large/827-01M.jpg

This is a Soli
http://sdmas.com/corals/images/large/64-03.jpg

Please don't let misinformed identification practices sway you.

[klepto]

I think A. branchi is also a possibility. The axial corallites on your piece look similar to those in the image below. Notice the very slight dome shape on the ones to the perimeter.
http://sdmas.com/corals/images/large/646-07.jpg


Its possible that it is something different too.

http://coral.aims.gov.au/speciesPages/species_metadata/0646/view#


I don't think it is A. efflorescens.

[Bill@IA]

Thank you again MammothReefer, and thank you klepto for helping me here.

I have been through many photos and links online as well. Here is another photo showing an almost identical replica of my coral, labelled A. efflorescens. I believe the source would be credible. Here is the link: http://www.qualitymarine.com/Products/Invertebrates/Aquacultured/Corals,-SPS/Acropora-efflorescens/A.-efflorescens-Green

[dvanacker]

Efflo is the most known name for a tabling acropora so people naturally gravitate to using it as an ID and lump many of these similar tabling acropora as "efflorescens".

IMO it may or may not be......to me its hard to tell I see many people label corals that look just like that as efflo so I wouldnt shy away from using it. People have to realize it is very hard to pinpoint an exact species name in some cases. I don't know of this is right but I have owned two similar types of tabling acropora and I think the soli is a thinner tabling acro and efflo is thicker. I dont know if this is right but this is the main difference in the two species that I have.

Also adding the confusion is the fact that these corals will grow differently under different conditions.

[MammothReefer]

It can't be A branchi. Where they are present the regions don't export corals to the US/Canada. It's a Bali mari plug so it's gotta to be a species from Bali.

As far as QM. I wouldn't go by what wholesalers ID corals as outside of "generalities". To them the common name is good enough and like dvanacker said most people tend to classify all "tabling" acros as efflos. Just like most prostrata, Millis, spathelas (sp), and many others are just called millis, and so many species get called tenuis like vermiculata

[klepto]

It can't be A branchi. Where they are present the regions don't export corals to the US/Canada. It's a Bali mari plug so it's gotta to be a species from Bali.


How can you tell the origin of the plug from those photos? Its out of focus and covered in algae. I didn't know that the plug design was specific to a given region.
Yeah I realized after posting how limited the distribution is. Thanks for pointing that out. Actually Sri Lanka has been working towards mariculture exports. I have no idea if they are exporting to Canada. I also realize how much less likely that it is given the high frequency of Indonesian maricultured Acropora on the market. Still, its not impossible.

[Bill@IA]

How can you tell the origin of the plug from those photos? Its out of focus and covered in algae. I didn't know that the plug design was specific to a given region.

Wow you are good. I don't think there is a way to tell.
......I PM'd MammothReefer that info earlier.

Cheers! :)

[MammothReefer]

LOL I cheated.. But actually you can typically somewhat tell by the plug each region / facility I believe makes there own plugs based around how there farming area is setup, and there aren't that many places doing mariculture.

I've seen a few different types of plugs

The lumpy Bali ones with the bottle caps are the most common
Smooth ones I don't see very often anymore (with a bottle cap in the bottom fiji)
There fiji ones that have a "spike" on the bottom.
Then SI are discs shaped.
The new "bali" deep water stuff seems to be a smoother plug flat bottomed hand formed disc.

Check out this guys site. Lots of cool pictures, and talk about mariculutre.
http://eddie-coral-adventures.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

[klepto]

LOL I cheated.. But actually you can typically somewhat tell by the plug each region / facility I believe makes there own plugs based around how there farming area is setup, and there aren't that many places doing mariculture.

I've seen a few different types of plugs

The lumpy Bali ones with the bottle caps are the most common
Smooth ones I don't see very often anymore (with a bottle cap in the bottom fiji)
There fiji ones that have a "spike" on the bottom.
Then SI are discs shaped.
The new "bali" deep water stuff seems to be a smoother plug flat bottomed hand formed disc.


:headwally: Well next time include such information for the rest of us rather than trying to play expert. ;)

I've also seen quite a few different plug designs. I know Walt Smith's Fiji Acropora usually come on a specific plug. Beyond that it seems like trying to judge the origin based on the plug is a futile effort. Lets not forget that many of the countries engaged in mariculture are 3rd world countries and consistency with the plug design is (I can only imagine) not exactly a priority. I could be very wrong though...

Now, as you said, if we know if comes from Indonesia, then the search is narrowed.

[MammothReefer]

Ha where is the fun in that. This is the internet. If I don't keep up appearances online when I show up to MACNA I won't be able to pull off the Top hat and Monocle. "Why Yes I do believe that is a proximalis not a lamarcki I can tell these things as I've seen a few corals during my days as understudy at Cambridge... ...Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmmm!"

[Bill@IA]

:headwally: Well next time include such information for the rest of us rather than trying to play expert. ;)

I've also seen quite a few different plug designs. I know Walt Smith's Fiji Acropora usually come on a specific plug. Beyond that it seems like trying to judge the origin based on the plug is a futile effort. Lets not forget that many of the countries engaged in mariculture are 3rd world countries and consistency with the plug design is (I can only imagine) not exactly a priority. I could be very wrong though...

Now, as you said, if we know if comes from Indonesia, then the search is narrowed.

....and that being said, do you remove the acros from these plugs as soon as possible?? After all, do we really know every ingredient they put in those things??

:reading:

[klepto]

Good question. I have no idea if they pose a problem as far as leaching chemicals or something along those lines.

Lots of people I know like to remove them from the maricultured discs (if the coral isn't heavily encrusted) in an effort to reduce pest transfer and because they discs are usually bulky and are difficult to place in rockwork effectively. I've seen "hitchhiking" algae, large vermetid snails, bivalves, sponges etc which can also irritate the coral's base in some situations.

[MammothReefer]

double post.

[MammothReefer]

I have in plugs in my tank for a year and half, many are totally encrusted over and a fixed part of my rock work. I assume if they were leaching things it would locally effect the piece first, but I could be wrong on that. I also don't have any mystery issues that I can't pin down (only issues that I'm totally aware of why they are happening ...haha)

I'd say I have about 25 Mari plugs in my tank. I'm not sure how I got all of them (didn't buy that many maris) but I like to glue down frags of other stuff to them if I want to give it a nice size piece to encrust on.

But with that said I do have annoying vermetid although they seemed to have some how hit a balance they were plague like but they have been vanishing. I like the random aglea, and the sponges though which is why I keep them. I've already got AEFW & Red bugs so I don't mind adding more hahaha. I just keep basting away. lol