Difference beween lps and sps

[spscoral]

What is the exact difference between an lps coral and a spscoral.


Thanks


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[Doug1]

Well to put it in a nutshell an LPS is a large polyp scleractinian(stony coral) like bubbles,elegance,trumpet,galaxy,flowerpot,etc
SPS are small polyp stony corals like Acropora, Seriatopora,Stylophora,pavona,Hydnophora,Porites,Pocillopora, etc
they are charactorized by prominent branching calcerous skeletons covered with very small polyps

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Reef as though your life depended on it, yours does'nt but the sea's does.........Doug ReefCentral/ReefTank moderator

[horge]

It's just a distinction created by the commercial aspect of this hobby, methinks. I like to imagine the distinguishing characteristic as the ability to ingest larger-than-planktonic morsels.

<Another factor in differentiating perhaps concerns propagation approaches. If you can just snap or hack off a frag and it's instantly viable, it's probably sps.>

[rshimek]

Hi

Biologically, there is no difference. There is a complete gradient of polyp sizes from smallest to largest.

As Horge says this artificial distinction was probably started in the commercial ends of the hobby.

Cheers, Ron