coral of the week {clavularia} clove polyp

[shred5]

Week #26 coral of the week {clavularia} common names clove or glove polyp . This coral is pictured on page 146 and 147 of the book the Corals a quick reference guide by Julian Sprung .

Every week I will post a new coral and I want you to post everything you know about this particular coral. Everything from common names, how hardy they are, water temp, water flow, lighting, water parameters, fraging, spawning, related corals, scientific names, feeding, best ways to ship, etc. Post your pictures for identification. Please tell us about your system so others can duplicate your success. Also email me for request on which corals you would like to see in this section.

Dave Polzin

[Greg3333]

Sorry, no pictures.

However, I acquired a specimen about the size of a golf ball when the polyps were retracted about six months ago. It had a very translucent and pale white coloration to it.

Six months later and it is the size of a baseball closed. Each polyps will completely close in on itself at night so that it looks like a small bunch of grapes. In the morning, the base will extend and the feeding portion of the polyps (tentacles) unfurl like feather dusters. The base now extends about 4-6" for each polyp, and the individual tentacles (8) are all about 3" long.

It seemed to appreciate my lighting. I have it in the center of a 58g tank lit by two 175W MH 5500K sup with 2-95W actinic. It is now a very nice golden brown color. I have it located just off to the side of a relatively strong current so that the polyps are free to sway in the "Breeze." The feeding portion of the polyps is very very fine which makes for a nice display.

I have never fed this coral anything. Its tentacles are much to small to accept food other than the plankton I add to the tank when I think about it.

It is a slow grower when it comes to fragging it. It grows by sending out a small runner from each individual base and growing a new polyp, much like strawberries. However, this makes it extremely easy to frag. Just place it next to a bunch of small rocks, and in a few months you can break it apart into smaller sections.

[smiller]

I have some cloves that are a rusty red color. The centers are a mixture of fluorescent green and fluorescent pink. The veins (help me with the correct term) that run from the centers are green in some, pink in some and a combination in some. They look like they were marked with a fluorescent highlighter. Outstanding under actinic.

I have mine growing mostly on the back wall. They make a great background. I have to keep them off the rock as they are extremely fast growers and will overgrow other corals if left unchecked. As said before they are easy to frag. Keep them in high to intense lighting with med to high water movement, although they will probably survive with less.