Can You Identify This???

[Stepho725]

This has been a question which no one seems to be able to answer with confidence.

This creature has tagged along on some zoas I purchased a few weeks ago. It has grown quite a bit already. As you will see in the pics it isn't hard but is flexible. I've heard everything from Speckled Cup, Rock Anemone, Fungia, to Dendro. So now I'm posting here since many seem to think it is a LPS of some kind.

Here ya go - interested to see responses

 

[akitareefer]

This is a picture of my baby fungia, I think it looks similar

 

[mike nickerson]

I would have to agree with akitareefer it looks just like my baby fungia's.

 

[Stepho725]

It does look similar. So what should I do with it?? I'm assuming that since you have two in your frag tank they aren't something I should get rid of? Should it be laying down in the sand? Will it live under Power Compacts in a Biocube? I really think we may have solved the mystery....The only thing is that mine don't round underneath themselves...they sit flattish.

 

[mike nickerson]

If the zoas aren't irritating I would just leave it there. It is on a stock and when it gets the size a 50cent to silver dollar size you can pop it off and then the stock will reproduce another.

 

[Stepho725]

You know, it does look a lot like the Fungia but I still am not 100% convinced....mine seems to have more spikey tentacles.

 

[mike nickerson]

Yeah I noticed that. Let me know if you figure out what it is

 

[tektite]

Definitely a fungia. Just look up pics online, perfectly normal to have those spikes, almost all fungia do.

 

[MechEng99]

Google images for "bubble coral baby". It may be a Plerogyra species. Can you make it mad so that the tentacles go in and get a picture? The skeleton will tell us more hopefully.

 

[mike nickerson]

Google images for "bubble coral baby". It may be a Plerogyra species. Can you make it mad so that the tentacles go in and get a picture? The skeleton will tell us more hopefully.

+1 to you, I'm 99% sure that's what it is. The flesh is bubbly and has pointy tentacle's.

 

[Stepho725]

I don't see it being a bubble. The Fungia looks about 75% right.

It didn't come out much tonight. Its folded nearly in half underneath the zoas again. If he is a plate he doesn't suck into himself like a zoa right? So if I scare the zoas away and scare his tentacles away all that will be left is his skeleton, right?

 

[MechEng99]

LPS have skeletons, unlike zoas. If you gently touch him, he should retract into his skeleton, so you'll be able to see what's underneath. Skeletal structure is the best way to determine LPS species.

 

[Beach Bum 70]

Goodluck

 

[Stepho725]

Woke up this AM and found this guy shrunken up and folded in half. Idk if plates do this...?

This photo is from last night when everyone started going to bed.

I didn't have time to flash a pic this AM but he was basically doing the same thing (maybe a bit more hidden) and all the zoas were retracted also.

 

[Stepho725]

Bump

 

[mike nickerson]

The skeleton is usually pretty small when they are juvenile's. They get really puffy and swollen during the day.

 

[Stepho725]

But can they fold in half????

 

[mike nickerson]

They can grow in weird shapes. I have 2 babies that are growing into each other and are forced to grow straight up if that makes sense.

 

[kingfisher62]

I think it is a bubble coral!

 

[Stepho725]

No. I don't think its a bubble coral. I've never seen it look anything like the photo you posted. Thank you for the suggestion though!