Acan or Favia?

[Jaken]

Is this an Acan or a Favia?
What is the easiest way to tell the difference?

[elkinsda]

An Acanthastrea

[Justin74]

Holy cow! Definately an acan! That colony has a lot of potential too, very nice!

I think if you were to a google search on favia vs. acanthastrea, after about 5 pictures of each you would get a very good idea in the difference between the two. The specie in which you have is probably the most easiest of all acans to distinguish. Acanthastrea lordhowensis(which you have shown there) are typically very fluffy, meaty looking corals, while a favias flesh seems to be a little more firm and tight looking, and very symetrical.

I quick visual tool that I use, thats not perfect but good for general observation and distinction is looking at the coralite structure, or mouths of the coral. If the flesh looks like it makes a circle around the mouths whether it be by folds of flesh or it's skeletal septa teeth, good chances it could be an acan. While a favia will almost have a pinwheel formation of skeleton and tissue, like spokes on a wheel. Again, a generic visual tool, but helpfull.

-Justin

[humanremainz]

damn that thing has mad potential