What is this and what's it doing?

Octoberfest · 01/07/2009, 07:00 AM

First off, what is this....a paly? Its much larger than any zoas that I have, but forming a colony like zoas do. The biggest difference is they eat like anemones by getting food in their tenticals and then closing up on it.

Anyway, in the pictures I attached you can see a couple different things. First one is a picture showing this "bubble" on the surface of one of them. Its been that way for about two months now. They're still really healthy and sprouted off three "babies" since this started. Thes second picture is just a different angle. The last one is a full tank shot so you can see the size of these in comparison to other corals in my tank..keep in mind this is a 29 gallon bio-cube.

Madfronter · 01/07/2009, 08:16 AM

I would think that is a Zoanthid. I have a colony that is looks similar. I think I might have a pic in my gallery. That bubble looks like a large tentacle. When I feed my tank frozen cyclpos and all my zoanthids close up and eat.

corbett_n · 01/07/2009, 09:25 AM

green polyp

Whisperer · 01/07/2009, 09:29 AM

That's a palythoa with an aberrant morph.

TheMcs · 01/07/2009, 09:39 AM

They max out at about the size of your largest one. They do grow fast and can overpower many corals. A local reefer here calls them his 'cockroach coral' since he was unable to kill a patch encroaching on his other colonies. Still a nice looking coral.

Great job on the rock work, looks good!

Octoberfest · 01/07/2009, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Whisperer
That's a palythoa with an aberrant morph.

wha tis an aberrant morph?

Quote:

Originally posted by TheMcs
They max out at about the size of your largest one. They do grow fast and can overpower many corals. A local reefer here calls them his 'cockroach coral' since he was unable to kill a patch encroaching on his other colonies. Still a nice looking coral.

Great job on the rock work, looks good!

Thanks, it was instructed by the boss...aka girlfriend

jefathome · 01/07/2009, 09:52 AM

Aberrant Morph in laymens terms is a "strange" morph.

Madfronter · 01/07/2009, 10:08 AM

Yeah its definitely a Protopalythoa button polyp.

01/07/2009, 07:00 AM	#1
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	What is this and what's it doing? First off, what is this....a paly? Its much larger than any zoas that I have, but forming a colony like zoas do. The biggest difference is they eat like anemones by getting food in their tenticals and then closing up on it. Anyway, in the pictures I attached you can see a couple different things. First one is a picture showing this "bubble" on the surface of one of them. Its been that way for about two months now. They're still really healthy and sprouted off three "babies" since this started. Thes second picture is just a different angle. The last one is a full tank shot so you can see the size of these in comparison to other corals in my tank..keep in mind this is a 29 gallon bio-cube. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

01/07/2009, 09:29 AM	#4
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	That's a palythoa with an aberrant morph. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

01/07/2009, 09:39 AM	#5
TheMcs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 2,272	They max out at about the size of your largest one. They do grow fast and can overpower many corals. A local reefer here calls them his 'cockroach coral' since he was unable to kill a patch encroaching on his other colonies. Still a nice looking coral. Great job on the rock work, looks good! __________________ Evaporation and top off don't count as water changes... Current Tank Info: 185g Deep Sea display, 2x 40g frag tanks, 90g fuge, 60g sump (400+ gal system)

01/07/2009, 09:52 AM	#7
jefathome Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 2,915	Aberrant Morph in laymens terms is a "strange" morph. __________________ Without Geometry, life is pointless Current Tank Info: NEW 150g in-wall Solartube display; 60g 4x2ft frag tank; 3g work Pico.... all Reef tanks

01/07/2009, 08:16 AM	#2
Madfronter Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: PA Posts: 284	I would think that is a Zoanthid. I have a colony that is looks similar. I think I might have a pic in my gallery. That bubble looks like a large tentacle. When I feed my tank frozen cyclpos and all my zoanthids close up and eat.

01/07/2009, 09:25 AM	#3
corbett_n Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SC Posts: 1,271	green polyp

01/07/2009, 10:08 AM	#8
Madfronter Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: PA Posts: 284	Yeah its definitely a Protopalythoa button polyp.