Dendrophyllia ID

[Dani Arnanz]

Four months ago, I get a rare coral, unique in Spain, and I think there aren´t too many in all Europe.

It arrived with several tissue recesion, as soon as I got it, I fragged it; probably it would be impossible for me to get another one, that´s why it was a relief for me, to know some frags were in friends´ aquarium.

This is the mother colony:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/Dani_Arnanz/arbuscula.jpg

Unfortunately, I haven´t get the coral open such as my friends frags, that´s why one of these friends is going to take care of it for this summer.

The first frag was for Nacho, and here is in his aquarium:

http://www.bluepolyp.com/portadas/2006/marzo06.jpg
Pic by Ignasi Torralba

It was georgeus, but recently he has had some problems, and the frag it´s going to go to Joan Xavier´s aquarium, the owner of another frag, and who is going to take care of my colony this summer.

A pair of pics of Joan Xavier´s frag:

http://1024.drpez.com/mayo_06/img_articulos/acuarista/1024_numero_7_JoanXavier_Foto%208.jpg
Pic by Pablo Zamora

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d56/joanxavier/Dendromayo06.jpg
Pic by Joan Xavier

The last frag went to another good friend´s aquarium, Mariano (all pics by Mariano):
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/efern/P5210120.jpg

Some pics of Mariano´s frag having dinner:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/efern/P5290143.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/efern/P5290144.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/efern/P5290145.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/efern/P5290146.jpg

And after eating...
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/efern/P5290147.jpg

[Dani Arnanz]

I´ve seen pics of the same specie, or very similar ID as D. arbuscula, D. ijimai or D. cylinndrica.

I´ve seen as D. arbuscula these:

http://www.vision1.co.jp/photolib/p0247.jpg

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mc/minatomachi/dendrophyllia-arbuscula.jpg

http://www.rimi.or.jp/image/d_sango/jujikisango84.jpg

http://www.h5.dion.ne.jp/~namako/animals/COELENTERATA/image/juujikisango.jpg

http://www.cvreefers.org/gallery2/d/25366-2/Dendrophyllia_arbuscula.jpg
From www.cvreefers.org

In some Japanese webs, I´ve seen as D. cylinndrica these:

http://www.petballoon.co.jp/db_img/CH059.jpg

http://www.vision1.co.jp/photolib/p0533.jpg

http://www.ican.zaq.ne.jp/teka/images/enntou01.jpg

http://yadokari.k-free.net/img1202%5B1%5D.jpg

[Dani Arnanz]

And finally, I´ve seen this pics By Hoeksema, who ID it as D. ijimai:

http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/bis/corals/pictures/dendroh4.jpg

http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/bis/corals/pictures/dendroh3.jpg

http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/bis/corals/pictures/dendroph.jpg

I can´t see differences between them, I haven´t found any text with description of the species, and I don´t know if the three species are valid, somebody could help me??

Thanks in advance,

Dani

[CamBarr]

wow tagging allong sweet coral

[Dani Arnanz]

Thanks CamBarr,

Nobody know anthything about that coral??

[CamBarr]

lemme see give me one sec

[CamBarr]

if i could guess i would say Dendrophyllia arbuscula it looks like the coral you have has had some major tissue recession.

[Underwaterparadise]

how big are the polyps?

[Dani Arnanz]

Maddness, they´re small, here you can compare its size with a sun coral:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d56/joanxavier/Dendromayo06.jpg

Thanks,

Dani

[Underwaterparadise]

Is the dendro in the bottom left? Can you get a side by side photo? I believe most dendro's are larger then Tubastrea

[zarro]

nice pics

[mikekman]

Dani Arnanz, do you have an update on the coral? How is it doing now and were you able to get a positive ID on it?

Its a really nice looking coral.

[Echidna09]

Could be in the Balanophyllia Genus if not a Dendrophyllia.

[Qckwzrd]

are there suck tubastrea that branch like the black ones but are orange/yellow?

I ask that because I just picked up a frag of "suncoral" that branches and its in bad shape (tissue recession) I'm feeding it now before I add it to the tank and its eating cyclops. the polyps on them are small. Only paid $20 so I figured I would try and bring it back.

[ViPeR_930]

Dani's coral looks like Dendrophyllia arbuscula to me.

Qckwzrd, yep there are orange branching tubastreas.

[Jamokie01]

Roes was recently selling them as "micro dendros", maybe you could email them and ask.

[ViPeR_930]

Roes's micro dendros were also arbusculas.