New SPS... ID please?

addict

addict

Well-Known Member
Well, I scored this awesome coral last night at the LFS. It was a local trade-in from somebody that had been keeping it under VHO lighting. They also had a couple of frags of it, but they wanted almost as much for them as they wanted for the whole colony... so I decided the colony was going home with me. :D
Only problem is that I'm not 'positive' on the I.D... I really want to identify it as a Montipora capricornis, but the vertical growth on it is making me second-guess myself (especially after Playa told me my encrusting Montipora was in-fact an Echinophyllia :) ).
So... if anybody can positively ID this thing for me I'd be grateful... or if you could even point me to a site that has a coral ID section I'll figure it out myself... either option works for me. :)

The color of it is a pinkish-brown at the moment, with white underneath, but I'm hoping that it colors up under the halides... the colony is about 6" diameter, and is the new centerpiece of the tank.

Thanks.
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
Here's a shot from the front of the tank showing where I placed it... it overhangs the entrance to the sandspit that separates anemone island from the rest of the reef.
 
jks1

jks1

Member
Dave, couldnt find an ID quick- I'll keep lookin though- it is a great looking coral though
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
Thanks Johnny, and yes... that's my BSP colony. :)
I have two more in the growout... maybe I'll have to send some. :)

Thanks John... I appreciate the help :)
 
Last edited:
wooddood

wooddood

the wood dude
great new addition dave, an encrusting monti maybe. pm luis he'll know for sure. it looks awesome though congrats.
 
Cosmic

Cosmic

Member
Acropora efflorense (sp?) is my guess based on growth pattern.
AKA "efflo's".
Nice find I'd say :)

Cos
 
P

Playa

Active Member
David that is a beautiful shape on the acro. I cant find any acropora that looks anything like that. Do you see polyp extension already?

The closest thing I can come up with is either an Efflorences or a Solytariensis. The thing is that when either is in a smaller state of growth, it makes it even harder to distinguish between them.

Luis
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the site there TDevil... that'll help a bunch in the future. :)
Thanks for the input wooddood. :)
Thanks for the ID there Cosmic... looks like we have a winner. :)

Hiya Luis. Yes, the polyps are already extending... my wife said they were out pretty full earlier this morning, but right now you just see little bumpy rings all over it.

I've been reading up on Acropora efflorescens and mine pretty much fits that description, with most corallite growth on top, though there still are polyps showing underneath (though no color or bumps... it's flat).

I'll look into Solytariensis and see if the description fits better.

It was quite the score... when I saw it I just had to have it, and it fit perfectly in the first spot I picked out in the tank... looks like it was meant to be. :)

I'll see if I can get a closer shot in the morning... only the actinics are on right now....
actually, I have a shot of it in the bag when I was acclimating it... maybe that might help.

Thanks again for helping me ID this thing everybody. :)
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
One other thing... the more I look at it the more I realize I completely jumped the gun even thinking that it was a Montipora species... I guess I just saw a plating coral, and assumed the rest. :)
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Well go ahead and jump right in there ra, I think it is a Montipora turtlensis


Look at image 2 and click on it to make it bigger

http://whelk.aims.gov.au/coralsearch/html/201-300/Species pages/277.htm

I don't see any nodualr upgrowths in any of the mentioned acro's. I also agree with Playa, I can't find one that really looks like yours, there is always something not right. Was this a home-grown coral.

Maybe it is to early in the morning and I'm not awake yet :D
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Like I said to early in the morning, just found a close up of a turtle, in my old Veron, nope not it.
 
P

Playa

Active Member
Now that I have a different view of it from the top and a closer look at the bumps on the surface I can take a much better guess.
Luke David I was thrown out with the plating look of the first picture from a front angle.

Now, this no longer looks like an acropora to me:)

It looks more like a Montipora Danae:)

JMHO

You should get some sort of purple polyp from this coral and it should start turning a little more yellowish overtime.

Luis
 
P

Playa

Active Member
Using our own research tool:) Montipora Danae
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos...=1&perpage=15&password=&ppuser=&what=&name=&=

Here is a Danae for sale at RM
http://www.reefermadness.us/RMD03310158.htm

On this link there are severa pictures of Montipora Danae specimens:
1st picture, 2nd picture, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th,

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=291241

Montipora Danae

http://whelk.aims.gov.au/coralsearch/html/201-300/Species pages/251.htm

Here is one last link to a Danae from Reef farmers

http://www.reeffarmers.com/wavesmarinemontipora.htm
 
Curtswearing

Curtswearing

Active Member
Luis,

Thanks for confirming it was a Montipora verruculosus LOL. :)

I think you are probably right. Both are related and have so many similarities but I think you might have hit the nail on the head. ID'ing SPS can be challenging at times. However, Veron said Montipora Danae has larger, less evenly spaced verrucae and larger corallites.
 
P

Playa

Active Member
Curt to ID a coral coral the way we are doing it, is just for fun:)

It is nearly impossible on certain specimens that have similarities with others(like this being one of the cases)to accurately determining the name unless you are looking at a dead bone and other pieces of info(original place of harvest and so on)

:) so we are just having fun:) IMHO

Luis
 
Last edited:
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
Wow... thanks for helping me out, you guys... :D

I've looked over the different Montipora species you mentioned, and though it bears some resemblence, I think we were closer in the Acropora efflorescens family...
Maybe I have some ultra-rare coral... :D
The main thing that makes me think it isn't a Montipora species is that the vertical corallite growth is quite prevalent, rather than just being a small grouping in the middle... it's actually toward the edges, with the smaller corallites being toward the center.
Attached is a bit more of a close-up shot of the rim closest to the front.
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
And here's an overhead shot from a different angle than the first... it's quite a unique coral whatever it is. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top