Eagle Eye's with different skirts

[eg8r210]

Sorry for using the dreaded names but without the name someone might think these are two different zoas. I had noticed before, in my tank that within the same colony some of the polyps looked different than the others but I always just noticed that some were bright and vivid and others seem dull. Well today it dawned on me that a portion of my colony is growing a yellow skirt instead of the bright green skirt.

I am sorry the pic is not all that great but I am using an iPad and don't know anything about color correction. Check it out and let me know what you think, these have all grown from the exact same frag that has never been moved since the day it was glued down. The zoas are on a rock that is inbetween two halides, so maybe one is aging slightly different than the other and causing a different color? I have no idea and just making assumptions. :)

http://i808.photobucket.com/albums/zz7/eg8r/c07e5a84d6201fd71a54338a8671399f_zpse4a87ddd.jpg

[Chaotic Reefer4u]

Their really nice. . .

[eg8r210]

I tried to get a better picture but the bright yellow skirts continue to wash out. :(

[gordonj1]

I have a similar frag/ mini colony where some have green skirts some have yellow. I think that's the difference between a whammin watermelon and eagle eye, they started this way. I don't think it has to do with aging.
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u599/jgordon1findlay/IMG_2718_zps552be9db.jpg
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u599/jgordon1findlay/IMG_2747_zps372872fa.jpg
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u599/jgordon1findlay/update%20to%20thread/DSCN0125_zps4d236535.jpg

[gordonj1]

We used both varieties in our research project. We are sequencing their DNA now to see if they are the same species.

[eg8r210]

We used both varieties in our research project. We are sequencing their DNA now to see if they are the same species.LOL, the point of my thread is that they all came from the exact same frag of 10 or 15 polyps.

I will pay attention and see if the skirt changes color on these yellow ones or see if, as they spread, they are all yellow on those new ones. The other reason why I would consider it darn near impossible for you to tell me they are different strains is that all the polyps around the yellow ones, back the frag plug are all green skirts. It is just odd that this one group off to the side are yellow skirts.

[KafudaFish]

I will bite for the fun of it.

Simple color variation due to microhabitat differences of light availability.

Often people base IDs on color. You said that they all grew from the same frag so does that mean there are two or just one color morph? Perhaps a single polyp was one and the other 14 were the green.


Is the one polyp with a dimple a different one as well?


It would be interesting to see how/if they changed after a bulb change.

[aandfsoccr04]

I can't really tell a different from your picture. All the skirts look green to me.

[eg8r210]

I will bite for the fun of it.

Simple color variation due to microhabitat differences of light availability.

Often people base IDs on color. You said that they all grew from the same frag so does that mean there are two or just one color morph? Perhaps a single polyp was one and the other 14 were the green.


Is the one polyp with a dimple a different one as well?


It would be interesting to see how/if they changed after a bulb change.All polyps for the past year or so have been green. Then all of a sudden I started noticing yellow skirts. It is the strangest thing since I haven't seen such a noticeable difference on other z&p.

[eg8r210]

I can't really tell a different from your picture. All the skirts look green to me.Center height of picture off to the right. The skirts are yellow compared to others. I will try to get a better picture but the best I have is my phone or ipad.

[jaschall]

I've seen this happen many times with eagle eyes. My local fish store has a small colony there selling doing the same thing. Not really sure why they do this.

[Epicreefer]

Variations such as this are commonplace in sessile organisms. It's stuck with the conditions it has and needs to adapt to them, and hence looks different. Were used to identifying things by appearance and mostly animals. But a species of animals all look the same and need the same conditions to survive. If its not perfect for them they move to where it is but your zoas can't do that and have to adjust to that side of the rock instead. This is why plants can have much more DNA than people, so they can live wherever the seeds end up.

[eg8r210]

Variations such as this are commonplace in sessile organisms. It's stuck with the conditions it has and needs to adapt to them, and hence looks different. Were used to identifying things by appearance and mostly animals. But a species of animals all look the same and need the same conditions to survive. If its not perfect for them they move to where it is but your zoas can't do that and have to adjust to that side of the rock instead. This is why plants can have much more DNA than people, so they can live wherever the seeds end up.Very interesting. The odd thing is that the yellow skirts have been closed up for the past 2 days. :(