Fire Coral or Lace Coral

[Lazylivin]

Hey guys, got a question for you. I bought these two corals off of Ebay. Seller had them listed as Fire Corals. I did some research and had my doubts but bought them anyway. So they arrived today and I took a picture. I would not be concerned normally with names but Lace Corals and Fire Corals have very different needs. Fire Coral lots of light and Lace Coral non photsynethitic. I emailed the seller and they said the invoice stated that they are fire coral. What do you think?

Lace Coral http://www.arkive.org/lace-corals/distichopora-spp/image-G34902.html?offset=0px
Fire Coral http://www.arkive.org/fire-corals/millepora-spp/image-G26429.html?offset=0px
Additional Resource http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/eb/index.php

My Picture

Sellers Pictures

 

[Reef Bass]

From the links you provided, the orangey one looks like fire and the violety one like lace. The horizontal growth habit of the lace coral could be distinctive and from your pic it looks as though the violet's tops are trying to bed over / flatten out.

The info at those links states that lace coral's color is not limited to just the living flesh. You could frag a small piece and see if that is true with your specimen. Color throughout would indicate lace coral.

Of course, fire coral usually stings a lot if you were to touch it.

 

[Lazylivin]

I broke a small piece of the blue one and it was blue all the way through. So that is indicative of Lace coral? I have also touched the blue one no sting. I have not checked the Orange Red one yet.

 

[Reef Bass]

Yes, according to the info at the link you gave, that would mean it's lace coral. Here's what your source said:

The colour is deposited within the limestone skeleton and remains even after the animal tissue is gone, unlike reef-building corals which have white skeletons and the only colour is found in the living tissue.

To me it is highly likely that your other coral is fire coral and unless you would like to experience its sting, I'd probably go with that and treat it as such.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

based on these pix I don't believe either one of those is Millepora (fire coral).

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

see photo #2

see photo #2

http://www.oceanwideimages.com/categories.asp?cID=230


Distichopora violacea

 

[Diatome]

Both look like Lace Corals. Lace corals can sting as well but not as severe as a millie sp. fire coral.

I have a Fire Coral I picked up from DFS and I have actually moved it and not been stung. Given the size and the environment, you are less likely to get stung than in the wild, like friends of mine that dive. The lace have a more delicate branch and do look great after growing out some. I love the blue. I like odd and even ugly coals but lace and fire are actually pretty corals as they grow out, though I guess not really corals given that they are Hydrocorals.

 

[yarballs]

Try putting them under a overhang ,low with very little light . That is distichopora you've got there . It likes dark places and lots of flow . like almost nutty flow good luck .