fishgeek12
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WOW thats pretty cool!
Green Slimer Morph
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RockDocPro
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I have several corals that have "taken" some of the coloration from neighboring corals. I always thought that the Zoozoanth spread from one to the other thereby transferring the color. Of course, this may be a wrong explanation. I once asked Jason Sprung if this could happen and he seemed to indicate that it could. I have a green slimer (or maybe it's another bright green acro) that spread it's green to a neighboring monti cap. I'll post a photo later today.
Frankenpora
New member
Very true.
I would think that most of the diverisity that we see in the worlds
oceans is from a level of hybridization that is as yet not
understood. I have read some articles on the genetic mapping of
coral species that will most likely turn our current ideas of the
family tree of coral on it's head. I think it's only a matter of time
before the coral found in homw aquaria is a distinctly different
animal than is found in the wild. This will become more the case
as mass spawning, and the raising of that spawn becomes more
common in home aquaria.
Frankenpora
New member
Very true.
I would think that most of the diverisity that we see in the worlds
oceans is from a level of hybridization that is as yet not
understood. I have read some articles on the genetic mapping of
coral species that will most likely turn our current ideas of the
family tree of coral on it's head. I think it's only a matter of time
before the coral found in home aquaria is a distinctly different
animal than is found in the wild. This will become more the case
as mass spawning, and the raising of that spawn becomes more
common in home aquaria.
stony_corals
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15300797#post15300797 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Frankenpora
This is an excelent question. I believe that the word grafting implies that two species are comined, however in the example
above a Simplex is shown that has somehow obtained Zooxoanthelle from another colony. So in brief, it is one type
of Acro with the shared Xoanthelle of two. This process was first
described by Steve Tyree in this example:
www.reeffarmers.com/limitedgraftedsimplex.htm
It only seems natural to me that if all of these colonies host
Xoanthelle, then it should be able to be transfered between
species. I would hypothisis that if the Xoanthelle were
introduced in a way that does not trigger the corals self defense
mechanism. Then it should be possible for Xoanthelle to be
introduced to a colony, if not prior to colony formation, since
according to what I have read Xoanthelle are captured, not
transfered at birth.
I hope this discussion is not viewed as a hijack by the poster, since I believe it gives hope to his original thoughts
P.S. I reserve the right to be wrong.
You are confusing the term that Tyree coined, it was pigment grafting, not Zooxanthellae acquisition. Steve stated that this was his opinion with what is happening and that grafting, with pigments, was his term for it and not a scientific one. Corals often contain several clades of Zooxanthellae, with one typically being the dominant clade within a host. Corals are always acquiring Zooxanthellae from the surrounding waters when it is optimal for them to do so (based upon the clades properties and benefits to the host, ie adaptation to higher temperatures).
Frankenpora
New member
?
Not sure I understand your point.
I was stating that it was called grafting in this example. And it
would be aquired if Steve's theory is correct. That being that it
was aquired the coloration from a pocilipora.
Either way it's cool.
My point was to clarify this question:
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stony_corals
New member
Its the same species....
Frankenpora
New member
I totally agree. Sorry if that did'nt come through in my statement.
29reef
It's all about the flow
Frank- I got the idea you were suggesting grafting a coral much like you would graft plants. Ithink this would work but I don't see how they would share xoanthelle if you used the plant type of grafting. Maybe I better stop before I learn some more highly inyeresting coral science 
