Coral Id?

ianjirka · 04/04/2012, 10:09 PM

I got this little Zoa rock a few months ago -- and ended up with two coral hitchikers.

First one (1) is some kind of LPS with a Ceroid structure -- very fine tentacles. It's been there most of the time. It's always been brown, but slowly growing.

The second one (2) I noticed just the other day. Any ideas? Should I leave it there or try and frag it?

Thanks much,

-Ian

FiShScaLe · 04/04/2012, 11:03 PM

Number 1 looks to me like a coldwater anemone species which I forget the name of used to have 3 that hitchhiked on a piece of LR. Dont qoute me on it being an anemone but Im pretty sure it is a coldwater species. Cant see your pic to great but does it look like this?

If so use this pic to get it ID'ed.

Number 2 looks to me like a dead head of the number 1. Kind of also looks like a baby feather duster from a top view of it. Maybe even a very very small species of plate coral. Not positive but I think plate corals grow on rock with their skeleton structure connected to the rock and as they slowly get bigger they detach from the rock which is why you see them singley on sandbeds in the LFS or in peoples tanks. These are just my educated guesses you may want to get them further Id'ed.

Rich

ianjirka · 04/05/2012, 01:09 AM

I'm pretty sure #1 is not an anemone -- it definitely is laying down a skeleton which looks sort of like a moon coral if the polyps retract (which only happens if they are physically disturbed)

You might be right about #2 being a plate -- it has has extended tentacles after dark, and is raise off of the rock by a small stem in the middle of it. Looks like the kind of structure that would detatch -- I'll keep an eye on it. Maybe separate it into a container so I don't loose it. Will have to find out at what size they typically detach.

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

FiShScaLe · 04/05/2012, 12:26 PM

Yea I had the same thing in my tank, layed down a skelatal structure which I could really only see when I disturbed it. I had it Id'ed by someone but cant remember what it was called. Your probably right it isnt an anemone but I do think it is a coldwater coral.

If it is a plate it should get decent size before it detaches. Detaching it now being so small you may damage it. There is only 1 LFS in my area Ive ever seen this and they were detaching at about 2" diameter. Ive actually only saw this at my LFS never saw anyone post pics of one. It was a little bit bigger than a baseball size piece of rock and it had about 5-6 plates growing on it. There was also about 3-4 plates same color laying in the sand that had detached themselves.

04/05/2012, 01:09 AM	#3
ianjirka Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Issaquah, WA Posts: 151	I'm pretty sure #1 is not an anemone -- it definitely is laying down a skeleton which looks sort of like a moon coral if the polyps retract (which only happens if they are physically disturbed) You might be right about #2 being a plate -- it has has extended tentacles after dark, and is raise off of the rock by a small stem in the middle of it. Looks like the kind of structure that would detatch -- I'll keep an eye on it. Maybe separate it into a container so I don't loose it. Will have to find out at what size they typically detach. Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express __________________ Mostly LPS, Some Monti, Porites, Mushroom, Zoa and Paly's. 2 RBTA(split), 2 rock anemone, 1 False Clown, 1 Yellow Eye, 1 Scopas, 2 Klaudern's Cardinals, Misc. small snails, hermits, emerald crab and an urchin Current Tank Info: 210g 72x24x30H DT w/partial C2C, 90g sump, 200gTWV. 3x250 MH@14K+2x80 T5 Actnic. 2500gph rtn, 4xTz6105, Tz9016 skimmer. 80F,pH 8.15typ. GFO,Carbon,Kalk

04/04/2012, 11:03 PM	#2
FiShScaLe Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 168	Number 1 looks to me like a coldwater anemone species which I forget the name of used to have 3 that hitchhiked on a piece of LR. Dont qoute me on it being an anemone but Im pretty sure it is a coldwater species. Cant see your pic to great but does it look like this? If so use this pic to get it ID'ed. Number 2 looks to me like a dead head of the number 1. Kind of also looks like a baby feather duster from a top view of it. Maybe even a very very small species of plate coral. Not positive but I think plate corals grow on rock with their skeleton structure connected to the rock and as they slowly get bigger they detach from the rock which is why you see them singley on sandbeds in the LFS or in peoples tanks. These are just my educated guesses you may want to get them further Id'ed. Rich

04/05/2012, 12:26 PM	#4
FiShScaLe Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 168	Yea I had the same thing in my tank, layed down a skelatal structure which I could really only see when I disturbed it. I had it Id'ed by someone but cant remember what it was called. Your probably right it isnt an anemone but I do think it is a coldwater coral. If it is a plate it should get decent size before it detaches. Detaching it now being so small you may damage it. There is only 1 LFS in my area Ive ever seen this and they were detaching at about 2" diameter. Ive actually only saw this at my LFS never saw anyone post pics of one. It was a little bit bigger than a baseball size piece of rock and it had about 5-6 plates growing on it. There was also about 3-4 plates same color laying in the sand that had detached themselves.