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View Full Version : Fertile Spawning Hammer?


AndrewRosenbaum
04/08/2012, 05:40 PM
I've recently bought a new hammer and was wondering if it would ever spawn and if those eggs needed to be fertilised or are they already fertilised?
And how do we tell if our hammer is male or female, or are they asexual?

I've heard of several spawning events with euphyllia coral so I guessed that they weren't too rare compared to other coral. Have you guys ever had your euphylliae spawn before and successfully have new baby coral?

AndrewRosenbaum
04/14/2012, 01:58 AM
Question was answered today when my hammer just released a plume of white stuff. It was only one head that released the sperm, but does that mean the entire colony and other heads that are from the same coral are also male?

oceanarium
04/14/2012, 05:16 AM
Hammer corals are known as broadcast spawner's you need a male and a female colony to be spawning at the same time. Then have the larva fertilized... free swim stage before settlement. It can be done but not by accident in a home display.

Torch corals are a whole new ball game these are known as brooders where a single mature colony will release viable planula that are more than capable of settling within a normal DT. I have been lucky enough to have this happen on many occasions, I keep some pretty special toxic colours these days just waiting.... waiting .... waiting .... :rolleye1: