Can someone name this coral?

[CourtneyBelle]

I bought this coral at my LFS last november... I put it in my thank and its doing great, about mid tank under 2 compact fluorescents and a 150w HQI. I just don't know its name..

[MondoBongo]

looks like some green star polyps in the lower right there, and maybe some texas trash palys on top? they're a type of palythoa. it's a bit difficult to tell from the image though.

[Jone]

hard to tell since it is closed up..Looks like a Gonipora or alvapora...The round vertical coral..spelling probably is wrong though but enough to google..

[CourtneyBelle]

that is as open as it has been, i am pretty sure it is open al the way..

[Sugar Magnolia]

Looks like a very unhappy goniopora or alveopora. Both of which are notoriously difficult to keep alive.

[risin]

+1 to the unhappy goniopora. Very hard to keep for long periods of time. A "happy" goniopora would have the polyps extended an inch or more in most cases.

[Crooked Reef]

Definately a goniopora. Alveopora only have 12 tentacles on the polyps. I have three that are thriving. They are notoriously difficult to keep but for some reason I have always had luck with them. I had one for about three years until a power outage for 5 days killed it along with everything else. Not too sure what I do right with them but they like me for some reason.

[Crooked Reef]

For whats its worth my red one and my bicolor do not have polyps as long as the green one but the one you have still looks like the polyps are not extended all the way. Do they extend more or is that it for yours?

[dkeller_nc]

I agree that it looks like a closed-up Goniopora, but there's another possibility, which is a turbinaria ("pagoda coral") that's a very unusual shape for the species. Turbinaria "pagoda corals" usually are a cup or amorphous shape, but I've seen some before that are ball-shaped. If you google "pagoda coral", you'll get some images to compare to what you have in your tank.

[Whisperer]

cyphastrea, green

[Mcgeezer]

Goniopora

[Whisperer]

This can't be goniopora. The retracted polyps of goniopora are abutting one another...no spaces between polyps. This coral's polyps distances are well defined and are distant to each other.

[Reefer54]

This can't be goniopora. The retracted polyps of goniopora are abutting one another...no spaces between polyps. This coral's polyps distances are well defined and are distant to each other.

i agree.

it really does look more like cyphastrea or even pagoda, but pagoda typically grow concave not convex. you may also notice the polyps do not have the correct number of tentacles for alveopora or goniopora.

[Jone]

mutant pagoda ????

[CourtneyBelle]

Here is an updated picture of it. It opens more now, not sure if the picture is that much better. But it has grown since I posted last, I'd say it definitely opens more and is happier.

[Teenreefer15]

yeah goniopora

[OnceTrueFalseBr]

What are your water params?

[CoralBeauty13]

you guys do realize this question was asked in february right ?

[Crooked Reef]

Yes, but the op posted another updated pic yesterday.

Is that the most it opens?

[CourtneyBelle]

Yes. All of the polyps open but do not reach out like a gonapora does.

[Timfish]

I'm going to vote a Turbinaria species, probably T. peltata, that is growing in a ball shape instead of a cup or plate shape.

[lllesley]

I'm going to vote a Turbinaria species, probably T. peltata, that is growing in a ball shape instead of a cup or plate shape.

Goniporas do also grow in a ball shape, I have some plating (flat) and some ball, they are both goniporas. plus one to sad gonipora !