ID Anyone?

[gpodio]

While shopping for some frags at a local source I was given a small frag of this which was struggling in the person's tank. I've now had it for several years and recently broke off some large pieces in order to clean the glass of the tank. I was going to put them up for sale possibly or bring them to the LFS but I'd like to be able to give people an ID of some kind. The person said he believed it was a deep-water coral, I have no idea, it's mostly white and glows like a white t-shirt under black lights when the actinics are on... It grows thin and long, fast grower...

Under actinics (Frag sitting on eggcrate on the bottom of the tank):

I'll get a closer pic if needed.

Thank you

 

[Kolognekoral]

It is hard to tell from the fotos, as the radials are not very clear, but I would guess it is A. plumosa, which will grow in this form and can be very 'white'.

 

[Oldude]

I have a coral just like that and always thought it was A.prolifera?

 

[Kolognekoral]

Greg, I would be very surprised if you had a true A. prolifera, as it is a very protected species and not allowed for collection (Caribean coral). The general appearance is similar, though. There is a possibility that this species is actually a variant from A. cervicornis or a hybrid, which makes it particularly interesting.

 

[gpodio]

I'll get a closer pic tonight, I had my camera and no memory card all weekend

A good closeup pic should help as I read the A. prolifera has irregular length corallites. However the A.plumosa pictured here really resembles the growth habit of mine:

Here's the original colony in the left of the tank, you can see how it grew towards the top then changed it's mind and headed back down...

I'm bringing a frag of it to my LFS tomorrow for their display tank, he may be able to help ID it too... Not sure why it wasn't doing so well in the tank it came from, it has been a tank buster in my tanks, including in my friend's tank under VHOs...

Never thought a "white" coral would be among my favorites though... go figure!

 

[gpodio]

Here are a couple closeups...

 

[Kolognekoral]

Certainly looks like A. plumosa. The radials tend to be appressed, are well spaced and tubular. The coenosteum looks correct, although one must exact this under a microscope or good hand lens without the tissues! I can't think of any other Acropora that resembles this.

Excellent fotos, by the way. Wonderful clarity.

 

[gpodio]

Thank you Jamie, I appreciate your help. I placed two large colonies in the corners of my tank waiting to figure out where to upload them, they have turned brown with white tips just like the one if the picture above. Quite a difference between the two placements, hard to believe it's the same coral!

I am sure I'll be back for more ID's soon... I'm horrible with this stuff!