What the heck is on my stylophora?

[nstiesi]

Greetings RS........can anyone tell me what this is.....should I be worried? It does seem to be bothering the coral.

 

[Frankie]

That is odd. It appears to be a sponge but I would like to get Boomer to look at it. The Coral does not look very happy actually. Polyp extension is at bare minimal~

 

[RockBox]

Looks like the coral tissue bubbling up.

 

[nstiesi]

Looks like the coral tissue bubbling up.

Thats exaclty what it looks like in person. When I blow the bubbles around a with a turkey baster, you can kind of see where the bubbles are attached to the tissue all over the coral.....

But what does this mean?

 

[Frankie]

I don't think so. It is in other areas off the coral also. I am sticking to my first call on sponge but am waiting for Boomer's opinion. I sent him a PM last night~

 

[Boomer]

I do not think you are going to see coral tissue bubble up that much, I never have or even bubbles collection on the corals that big. I'm with Frank, a sponge but would like to see a close up. That is way to far away to really tell anything but a wild guess. Also, look below that coal at all the oval to round objects, looks like maybe the same thing.

 

[nstiesi]

Not a sponge....I was trying to blow it off with a baster last night and it broke......it definitely looks like tissue. Its connceted to the rest of the coral at the base of the bubble.

Plus, when I hit it with the baster, it looks like there is a film of this tissue all over the coral, and its just bubbling in those areas.

 

[Frankie]

Not a sponge....I was trying to blow it off with a baster last night and it broke......it definitely looks like tissue. Its connceted to the rest of the coral at the base of the bubble.

Plus, when I hit it with the baster, it looks like there is a film of this tissue all over the coral, and its just bubbling in those areas.

I am open minded about this, only you who has a better view can be the real judge. Could you post some better pictures close up for better review?

 

[nstiesi]

I will try and get a better pic when the lights come on.

 

[squiers007]

I really doubt it is a sponge, and if it is then the coral is not healthy at all. They have a primitive immune system that can recognize self from non-self and therefore should be able to chemically defend itself from allowing a sponge to attach by either encapsulating it in a cyst or shedding it off with a mucus layer. My vote is for the tissue bubbling. I have seen encrusting monti's make bubbles that were easily 1/2in. tall. If it is a tissue bubble something is irritating the coral quite a bit and I would try moving it to another area of the tank with different flow.