Acan colors

[yardboy]

I've recently purchased a couple of Acan pieces, that are mostly green, but the edge polyps (growing?) of the colony are orange. Is this normal, and as the coral grows will the orange areas turn green, or is it a function of the light level, since the colony is somewhat dome shaped and the orange areas are not getting as direct light as the green areas?

 

[gflat65]

I've got an echinata that does that. It has blue streaks and brown in the main body, but orange and green in the growing areas. I think it is likely just new growth, like many sps can be lighter colored on growth areas. I thought maybe it would all turn the colors of the rim, but in over a year, it hasn't.

 

[joe18]

if you are talking about acan echinata then i have the same expericance as you.
i had a green echinata that put out orange babies, noe explination, its cool though...
joe

 

[baja_01]

Most acan polyps have different colores when they are babies.

 

[yardboy]

Here's the coral I was referring to. To me the orange polyps look mature.
I guess I'm guilty of fishing for the answer that I want, that the colors are influenced by light since they are in a "shadier" part of the coral. I guess I can always place the coral in less light and see what happens!