Coral ID?

[NicoleC]

I picked up this guy last week. They called it a "pineapple," but I am skeptical; the polyps are way too big at over 1/2" across. Any ideas? Acanthastrea? It doesn't look like rotundoflora or echinata, but at this point it's hard to tell how much flesh it is going to put on. Acanthastrea faviaformis?

http://home.socal.rr.com/reef/images/unk.jpg

[Anthony Calfo]

Its tough to make any worthy ID from a picture alone... but I am fairly confident that this is simply a handsome and healthy Favia. The septa meet but do not fuse (like Faviites), and have the overall characteristics to me of a Favia-type Faviid (commonly shipped with other "closed brain" type corals as "pineapple coral" from the island exporters).

Before people started price gouging on colorful, so-called Acanthastrea... we almost never heard the name. Now (like the Ricordea craze just the same)... merhants are calling anything that remotely resembles the aforementioned as such and try to get a better price or at least a faster sale for it. SIgh :(

It chides me, frankly. I like to see good business get rewarded... and bad business/merchants "not rewarded" (a shot at the unscrupulous folks selling such things based on pic IDs or sheer hope/will for financial gain - hobbyists and commercial folks, alike).

Getting back to you question, my friend :)... I truly hope that you did not pay much for this creature (as an "acanth"). It looks very fine and has a good value for how well it shipped. But, they (Favia) come in box lots to the US by the hundreds each month... and are worth about $30-60 retail at the end of the chain (of custody). They come into the country (like many/most Acanths) for mere dollars. The price points are necessary and appropriate for the business when a coral enters for say $6-10, runs through the importer/wholesalers hands ($12-18) and gets retailed for 2-4X. I appreciate/enjoy all of that.

What really disturbs me is when someone takes bleached specimens (pale pink, yellow, etc) and sells them for "rare." I have seen this as many other folks have on some e-tailers websites. Its just shameful.The same for mislabeled "Acanthastrea." Although... the real burden is one the consumer to be educated.

Well... thanks for the open door for me to rant :D

Your coral is a beauty. Best of luck!

Anthony

[NicoleC]

It was obvious the retailer really didn't know what it was, and it's a reputable shop. I simply liked it, and at $25 it was worth trying to ID later. The pics I have seen of favias didn't seem to match (but there are so many!), and the tentative ancan ID was mine.

Thanks for the input! It's a little banged up but I am sure it will heal soon. It's a good eater with lots of feeding tentacles. Should I expect it to put on flesh in the outer ring, or is this normal appearance?