Mystery LPS I.D. Quiz

Blastomussaman · #1 04/06/2005, 07:39 AM

I have these three corals that many ask me what they are when they see it. I have some guesses but cannot be sure.

Okay coral buffs, let me know what you all think.

Photos are pretty bad, resizing 1meg to 50k, this was the best I can do for now.

Oh, I don't want any talk about my algae problem!

Mystery LPS Quiz#1: Flourescent Green LPS - 2.5" Length

Mystery LPS Quiz#2: Orange/Green Mix LPS - 4"

Mystery LPS Quiz#3: Pink LPS (one on right) - 6" Length

gitsumpottery · #2 04/06/2005, 09:12 AM

pixellated pictures...1,2 and 3

Blastomussaman · #3 04/06/2005, 10:24 AM

Okay, I resized it even further hoping it's clearer. These are too deep into the tank to get a good close up. Anyway, all three swells up pretty good and feeds like an acan. I'm pretty sure the green one (yes, green, waiting for it to color up) might be Enchinata but others not too sure.

bugsy714 · #4 04/06/2005, 10:25 AM

hehe, you mean the species Blurricus Whatdafunkisiticus

That piece to the left on #3 is pretty nice, I think I have a similar piece I received as Acanthastrea Hemprichii

Jus Reefin · #5 04/06/2005, 10:58 AM

pIC #2 looks like Acan Echinata

#3 looks like a maze brain but the more I look at it the more is doesn't.

Pic 1 i can't even see

Blastomussaman · #6 04/06/2005, 12:09 PM

Bugger, I'll remember that name next time you post a fuzzy pic! Hehe.

Coral on the left to the pink one is a micro amak because corallites are less than 8mm and 3/4" polyp when expanded. Maybe you should post your supposed hemprichii because a.hems are not fleshy, they're bony.

#2 could be an echinata, what I thought first. But if the green is an enchinata, they don't look alike. #2 seems to be more widely spaced like a rotundoflora and not as fleshy. Or #2 maybe is not even an echinata. Who knows?

#3 is definitely not a maze brain. It has individual polyps and with some corallite sized and shaped like a micro, but some corallite structured like a lord. That's what puzzles me.

bugsy714 · #7 04/06/2005, 12:15 PM

does it have individual polyps or are they attached/fused to each other?

There's a pic of the hemprichii in gallery 3 very bottom right of www.jendub.com

Rotundaflora are meatier and look like an echino more than an echinata, If you pressed me I'd say #2 is either an echinata or a hillae, leaning more towards echinata

Duce · #8 04/06/2005, 12:16 PM

Those are crappy corals.....I will take them from you

Seriously...I think they are Acans.....

Blastomussaman · #9 04/06/2005, 12:38 PM

Bugs, Jen's pic looks like a ahem, very bony. Mine shows no skeletal outlines at all and the flesh expands enough to overlap each other (red one that is).

All 3 corals have individual polyps, just swollen so it looks to be fused, especially #3.

I think those corals are pretty lame myself, since I can't name them, often times I thought of throwing them away!

bugsy714 · #10 04/06/2005, 12:41 PM

Hehe, maybe I mistook pixels for boneyness hehehe
That hempr is quite meaty, but the tops of the polyp walls fuse.

Could you get a retracted shot of all three please, that other one too. I wanna see the polyp margins on those bad boys when they are fully retracted.

bugsy714 · #11 04/06/2005, 12:44 PM

ps-how small are the polyps on each piece?

Blastomussaman · #12 04/06/2005, 01:06 PM

Hmmm, didn't know Hemps to be meaty, I've always seen them and described as bony. If meaty, could be Enchinata or even Hillae if the polyps are big.

You're asking for a tall order on retaking the shots, they are deep into the tank and difficult to focus.

1 and 2 are pretty big like an inch or so inflated. And I guess it's safe to say the top of the polyps are fused when inflated. The red mircro piece, on the other hand, is free flowing like a lord but much smaller.

3 is different with distinctive individual polyps. The polyps are much smaller 1/2" - 3/4" expanded and with varying sizes and shapes. However, they are so tight when swollen they almost look fused. Even when not swollen, I can't make out the corallites but the individual polyps are clearly shown.

I guess I'll have to tinker around with my DC and get some more pics.

bugsy714 · #13 04/06/2005, 01:28 PM

Just pick them up and shake them a bit, they should deflate, then hold them while you shoot a macro shot. You could even shoot a shot right when the lights turn on, but the shaking would be best.

The Hempr is much meatier than my echinatas, the polyps are pretty big to.

clownfishcrazy · #14 04/06/2005, 01:47 PM

Your #3 looks like this, the site its from says its a lord.

Jus Reefin · #15 04/06/2005, 03:22 PM

What ever they are I will take a frag of Each.

I will have to look at the pics when I get home. My monitor at home is much clearer

RandyO · #16 04/06/2005, 04:36 PM

Not sure about #1
#2 looks like the Orange Crush Acan. This Acan looks different than the regular A.echinata or A.subechinata. They puff up like lords, and grow just as fast. I don't think anyone has really been able to determine this corals true identity. I call it Echinata, and I call the other more common, boney Echinatas, Subechinatas.
#3 looks like Micromussa to me.

bugsy714 · #17 04/06/2005, 07:24 PM

hehe, I was thinking micro on #3 but I wasn't going to be the first to suggest it. I agree about #2, looks like what people call A. Hillae

Blastomussaman · #18 04/10/2005, 10:22 AM

Okay here's what I concluded.

#1 is a hillae. I got a much bigger piece this weekend to look at the full colony and looks hillae to me.

#2 based on Randy, probably not documented. I can't find any literature or photos regarding the proper taxonomy.

#3 I initially thought was micro amak, now I'm leaning towards an acan. Bugs, I shook it up real hard almost losing a polyp and took a macro. It loves to be plump even when the lights are off it doesn't deflate all that much. But the macro will show clear outlines of the polyp that does not resemble any micros I've seen. I'm still puzzled on this one.

RandyO · #19 04/10/2005, 12:47 PM

Hey Blastomussaman. Where are you from?

Judging by the size of your fingernail compared to those polyps, I'd say even more for sure that is a Micromussa. Many of the micro's I've seen have that irregular shape to the polyp.

I've seen one just like it, but was not able to get the picture.
Maybe someone can help me out?

Blastomussaman · #20 04/10/2005, 01:11 PM

All my micros have similar corrallite structure except this one. I know, polyps are small like a micro but some are so bent out of shape to near flat which I've never seen on any of mine or other's micros.

I have a pretty big thumb, 15mm+, some of the flatter polyps are close to the width of thumb. Micro's corallites are stated to be 8mm or less. There are many that are less and many that are over. What I have here is probably an MicroAcan.

scolymia11111 · #21 04/10/2005, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RandyO
Hey Blastomussaman. Where are you from?

Judging by the size of your fingernail compared to those polyps, I'd say even more for sure that is a Micromussa. Many of the micro's I've seen have that irregular shape to the polyp.

I've seen one just like it, but was not able to get the picture.
Maybe someone can help me out?

99.9999999999999% positive its a micro amakusensis

RandyO · #22 04/10/2005, 09:25 PM

Hey Blastomussaman,
If your thumb is 15mm wide, then none of those corallites are more than 8mm.

These two corals are the same. One is inflated more than the other, but they are the same genus.

Blastomussaman · #23 04/10/2005, 11:12 PM

I agree, poylp sizes look similar and possibly 99% it's micro. Just that it responds so differently then all my other micros. Most of my micros are quite sensitive, most deflate at touch and show the corallites, the pink one I shook and shook, still can't make out any.

Good to know that's it's a micro and not another acan species. Thanks!

Jus Reefin · #24 04/11/2005, 10:14 AM

Blastomussaman, That piece #3 is really sweet looking. I'd kill for a piece

I'm no expert but I would say Micro.