Acropora SP - odd growth pattern

[Peckoltia]

Hi

Picked up this acro about a little while ago. From what I've been told it is wild collected from Queensland.

Anyone know what species it is? I can't seem to put a species on it.

It has the oddest growth pattern. At first I thought it was dying in small areas. I have heard/seen the main tips of branches being white as growth points. But this thing will turn white at polyp locations alongs the main stems then grow excessively fast from this point the colour will then return. Like I said I haven't had this coral long, but in that time it's encrusted the rock a decent amount and had this odd growth pattern.

 

[Piper27]

Looks like an austera, definitely grows everywhere and in funny shapes. Unless in heavy random flow it can tighten up some.

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[Peckoltia]

Piper - Acropora austera looks like it bang on the money, thanks for that.

My tank has a lot of random high flow - running about 40x turn over at the minute and that is with all the wavemakers running at around 60% so potential for even higher when the tank needs it.

Seems happy so far, branches are growing fast with only a small amount of encrusting on the rocks, which is the opposite to most of my other acro's that generally like to get a solid base down then take off.

The photo was taken soon after putting it in the tank. Not a very 'hairy' species of acro. Had absolutely no PE in the suppliers tank. In my tank it has the majority of the polyps open during day light hours (but the polyp size is small). The axial polyps and super long and fine when lights go out though. I kind of like the minimal PE look. I have too many hairy acros. My tenuis and another acro 'yeti' from Batavia Coral farm it is actually hard to see the main body of the acro through the polyp forest.

 

[Piper27]

Yeah austera don't encrust a lot so I wouldn't worry about that. Also don't worry about polyps extension since it's not rely a good sign of acro health.

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[Peckoltia]

Piper - I have to disagree to an extent.

In my opinion and experience, good PE is one of many indications of good health in acro's. This particular acro had no PE in the suppliers tank, but now all all its polyps extended, although they are only small polyps and no wehere near as obvious as say my Tenuis or Millipora. But that is just a difference between species. If my Tenuis had no PE I'd be concerned. You can actually see my Batavia Coral Farm 'Blue Tenuis' in the background of the pic - it is a hairball, most of the time you cannot actually see the skeleton of the coral - which is a shame as it is a beautiful high sheen blue/violet colour and the polyps give it a more pink appearance.

In my opinion good PE is one of many indicators of good health, but less/bad PE is not necessarily an indication of poor health.

Actually had a look from the side of the tank last night and the Austera has encrusted nicely from the side and back but minimal from the front. I still find the growth pattern off of this thing. Polyp sites on main branches turning white (looking really poor) then growing very fast from this site then turning yellow again and new polyps forming. Normally I would expect the polyp to remain and just for that site to lengthen.

 

[markalot]

I have a wild caught aussie horrida that has much of the same issues. Little encrusting, but then will go on a bender and encrust some, ten stop. I ended up moving it over to the side of the tank and it loved the reduced light and grew into the flow of a pump ... and loved it.

I was told this was probably a horrida but it looked a lot like yours before the polyps started to extend ... nowadays I can hardly see the skin. You can see how little it's encrusted after being on this rock for almost 2 years.

 

[mborn]

The op's acropora looks like cerealis to me.

 

[Peckoltia]

We now have two more potential species to add to the list.

Funnily enough I am employed as an Environmental Advisor and have a degree in Biological Sciences. Does anyone know of a dichotomous key that is available for Acropora sp?

 

[mborn]

Try this:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/page/home/

 

[Piper27]

Could be a cerealis too good call. I am used to seeing them come in with thicker branches and sharper coralites, kind of depends on where it came from I guess.

Op, we don't disagree on polyp extension. I normally look at the flesh of the acro to determine if it's healthy or not though, polyp extension has to many variables to go along with it. Either way keep us updated on that piece I am curious to see how it grows out in your tank.

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