Distinguishing Taxonomy of Corals

[Siapin]

What are the species of Ricordia, and how do you tell them apart (yuma, florida, etc.)?

Why are some $20 and others $200 for a slight difference in color?

On that same note, why are some Zoos $20 and others $200 for a slight difference in color?

Anybody have information about specific reasons for costs other than the nice colors are more expensive?

[grimmjohn]

Yumas are from the Pacific/Indonesia, florida are from the Gulf/Caribbean, thus the florida nomenclature...that would understandably make one a little cheaper. Yuma's are bigger, florida are smaller and more even covered with bumps.

As for the prices of zoas and ricordia..well, they go for what people will pay. Blue zoas are very attractive and percived to be not as common and so they can go for up to $25 a polyp for "Tub's Blue Zoas," though blue zoas just as nice can be found for $5. "People Eater" polyps used to go for crazy prices, but have come down a lot now that more people have them.
If you pay more than $15 a polyp for floridas then that's probably too much, I've seen evey color known go for about that on the internet. Yuma's come in more colors and thus are a little more "collectable." If people have the money and find a color they like and that is percived as not as available well then they'll pay what they want. Though I've seen just about every Yuma color you can think of go for $60 or less (and very nice ones for $15-20), I don't know what you found for $200.

This might make you feel better.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/ac/index.php

Cheers,

grimmjohn

[EricHugo]

The designation of R. yuma is questionable, in general, and I would dare anyone to prove what they were selling was R. yuma. Its just what people call bumpy corallimorphs that look like R. florida and came from an Indo-Pacific supplier. The taxonomy of corallimorphs is an utter mess. R. florida is common throughout its range. As to prices, the whole coral pricing thing is as crazy as the taxonomy of corallimorphs. There is no reason for it, especially since very few vendors have any clue what they are really selling.