Duncanopsamia Morphs

[Shawnts106]

Hey you guys...
I have noticed two different color/shape morphs in this species of coral.

The first is a regular grass dull green with skinny gray tenticles, the second is metalic green and lavender bulbus tenticles...
Have you guys noticed that?

 

[Hypertek99]

I think Roe's carries 4 different morphs

 

[greystreet41]

I've noticed 3-4 different colors and major differences in polyp sizes in some...

 

[thecichlidpleco]

look at the blue and yellow ones offered by zoafrag.com and the alpha and omega, imo, at liveaquaria.

 

[elegance coral]

I have seen this as well. Do you think it is possible to change some of these characteristic with environmental changes like lighting, flow, and feeding? Or is it more of a genetic thing and they are stuck as they are no matter what we do?

 

[zeppelin]

I think its up in the air on that yet. I'm working with a pretty lime green morph that I'm doing just that with. I have several polyps in diffeent locations. One directly under a 250 20K MH, and one about 18" or so off to the side, then I have 1 in a 300 display, about 30" down and kind of shaded from the 400 14K MH. So far all the polyps are keeping the same color. Haven't messed with flow differences yet. I have 4-5 morphs and haven't seen much color shift in any of them.

 

[isjg]

They'll lose colour under low lighting. Other than that the other characteristics don't seem to change much.

 

[zeppelin]

How many color morphs have you seen over there? Is there anything besides the various shades of green?

 

[moebiius]

got any pictures of the differences? Please post as I am also interested.....

 

[airinhere]

I can say with confidence that enviromental stresses do have an impact on how a Duncan looks.
The duncan in my first pic is in the sam tank as the other duncans shown.
It is only 3 inches deep almost directly under a 250W 20K SE halide.
The second pics are almost center of my two halides, about 10 inches deep.
The first pic is from a colony that is more sheltered from flow than the later image.
Only difference was that the first pic is of a duncan that was not bleached when I recieved it and the colony shown is one of two that I got that was obviously stressed when I got it.
The colony is slowly recovering its color but is still very sensitive to light.
I took two pics so you can see the difference between ful daylight and nighttime regarding polyp extension.

Normal looking duncan in my tank.

Stressed colony in daylight

Stressed colony at night

 

[elegance coral]

I don't know crap about Duncans. I bought my wife a small colony of Aussie Duncans about two weeks ago. It had 4 heads about the size of a nickel, and one small head. The small head has sprouted two new heads and the larger polyps are now about the size of a fifty cent piece. I guess the difference in polyp expansion could be due to shipping stress. I can change the size and shape, or posture, of an Elegance with environmental influences. I'm hoping I can do the same with these duncans. Right now the tentacles are short. I have seen them with long tentacles. If they can be changed from short tentacles to long tentacles that would be cool.

 

[zeppelin]

I have one colony I got from Roesmarine when they had the large group of them f/s. They are shorter tentacle and kind of a purplish, and have been that way for a couple months now. I think they are just a shorter tentacle type. I also have some that have much longer tentacles, like the ORA version. I have a few ORA ones too. Real nice deeper green than most of my others.

 

[gflat65]

I've got this one. It's been at the bottom of a 125 (~3.5-4" DSB)under 250W DE Phoenix 14K's and VHO's (and not enough flow for the intended inhabitants of the tank-acros...). The portions that get light have definitely colored up.

 

[The_Taz_Devil]

My duncan axifugia has startled me. Its been in the tank for about 6 weeks and the polyps extended from 1" to 2" during this time. Its under direct 250W MH's on the sand at around 28" and every branch has a new head growth as well - some have 3 to 4 new heads forming. These corals are supposed to form mats that will eventually hide the skeleton, cant wait for that although at this rate its gonna be a monster.....will try to post a before and after pic showing this growth and the new corallite and heads growing on one of the branch's. By the way they are as greedy as other Dendrophylliidae such as the sun coral.

 

[gflat65]

When they fully extend, there is no skeleton to see. I have little baby polyps shooting up everywhere (well, at least three or four in a couple of months, esp. where i cut one off and where the piece I got was cut from the mother in the wild). They don't seem to get to full size and of course don't put on the skeleton as fast as they pop up, but cool to watch nonetheless.

 

[ViPeR_930]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10394904#post10394904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by airinhere
I can say with confidence that enviromental stresses do have an impact on how a Duncan looks.

Isn't that true for all corals.

 

[ranran]

thought i would share a pic of mine

 

[malsavant]

 

[ReefDoctorMicromussas]

Here are my ORAs I keep a few different Strains But I have not found any that compare

LOL you can see one of the little Aussie Duncan morphs there at 5 O'Clock so small by comparison

 

[scuba connor]

are duncans hard to keep?