Poccilopora spawned!

[colemanitis]

It appears that my Poccilopora spawned! I noticed three different growths throughout the tank while I was cleaning the tank this afternoon. Here's two of the growths... I couldn't get a good picture of the third.

Mother colony...
http://colemanitis.com/reefcentral/pocillopora060804.jpg

Overflow growth...
http://colemanitis.com/reefcentral/spawn060804a.jpg

Live rock growth...
http://colemanitis.com/reefcentral/spawn060804b.jpg

[MiddletonMark]

Nice :D

A local reefer had a similar thing happen a few years ago ... little colonies all over the tank [glass, overflow] ... slightly problematic at times but very beautiful.

[Rod Buehler]

more likely polyp bail out. Poccilopora has a tendency to 'lose" some of their polyps, to have them settle elsewhere.

[MCsaxmaster]

Or it released brooded planulae. It's quite common with these corals, but that doesn't mean it ever gets old :D

Cheers,

-Chris

[nanonano]

Yea it happen to me a while back and I'm tring to sell the babies now with no takers. The babies are about 2"x2"now. They settle on everything including on 3 of my maximas PITA.

Gongrats on the spawning

BTW I have a green pocillipora.

[EricHugo]

agreed. I have baby P dams in my tank, too. Hard to say which modality was used, but in large healthy colonies, probably planulae. The bail-out is not really successful and usually occurs in response to stress.

[EricHugo]

Oh, and another reason I suspect they are planulae is most have formed slightly on the underside of rock areas, just the way they do in the wild. Not under rocks, but in shaded conditions.

[SeaSaltyDog]

I have had the same thing happen in my tank, in about 5-6 different areas. They mother colony is about the size of a softball and very healthy. All new corals are in shaded areas, one even on the under side of my main return on the locktite. Eric, why do they settle in shaded locations? Also does this mean I am doing something right or is this really a common accurrence with these corals?

[EricHugo]

They settle in shaded locations because they are still motile as recently settled planulae - it affords them some flexibility in position,and is thought to reducs predation, prevent damage by UV and idealize the potential for light gathering.

It is pretty common, but its common only when you are doing something right....how's that ;-)

[SeaSaltyDog]

Thanks!!!