Coral ID Please ... :)

[astrogazer]

I know the first image is of a Yellow Fiji leather, but if you'll look at the extreme right edge you'll see what I'm inquiring about. The second image is a close up. Is this a 'baby' Fiji??? Should I like break out the cigars?

 

[graveyardworm]

Could be a small anemone, or a coralimorph, rhodactis maybe. Nice yellow fiji BTW.

 

[astrogazer]

Thnx ...

 

[astrogazer]

It's base is almost chartreuse in color and only about a millimeter or so thick, sprouting about 50 arms each sporting 6 fingers and what appears to be a central 'mouth' and each finger seems to have a bright white tip.

 

[Hormigaquatica]

Rhodactis mushroom species of some sort. Certain types can get to be pretty large- I had a group that were over 8" across each... good stuff...

 

[edwardbotha]

deff not a fiji, sorry - no polyps, but tentacles. does it have a mouth and is the mouth protruding? if mouth swells up to the outside it may b Rhodactis, or it is a small amenone. Does it take food? most Rhodactis wouldn't take food.

 

[astrogazer]

I lightly touched the surface to get it to retract its polyps and show more of its base, I'm thinking maybe a type of encrusting montipora???

 

[graveyardworm]

I think the polyps are too large to be a monti. Does it have a skeleton?

 

[The_Taz_Devil]

Wow cracking 2nd shot, wouldnt think that this was the same coral. Hope you get an ID soon, sure its not some kind of BTA ?

 

[astrogazer]

I don't believe it's a BTA.
The polyps are about the size of the polyps on some of my monti digitada. I'm not quite sure how to tell if it has a skeleton. If I lightly run my finger across it the polyps seem to retract into some sort of skeleton.

The third photo (blue one) is significantly larger than life size.

 

[graveyardworm]

If you touch it, or even just gently blast it with a turkey baster, you should be able to tell if it has a skeleton.

 

[gflat65]

I'm thinking definitely an stony, but not sure what kind. What kind of scale is that (how big is the actual encrustation)? It has tissue that appears to extend out and retractable polyps, from the second pic. Is that the case? Blow it with a baster and see what kind of skeletal structure you can make out.

 

[astrogazer]

The encrustation is about 3/8 - 1/2" across and is circular in shape. it's in such a place that I have a tough time getting a good clear shot of it that's not geometrically distorted. I'm guessing it has some sort of skeletal structure as the polyps can retract completely, the surface is smooth and slimy to the touch, not rough like say a cup coral would be.