Identifying Micro Indonesian or Japanese
- Thread starter jerryc
- Start date
Hormigaquatica
Active member
There is No way to tell. Some people believe that if it is particularly colorful, it must be Japanese. There are Zero distinguishing features between a micro of one species from one local, and a micro of the same species from somewhere else.
Putting the work "Japanese" on a coral is just a way for people to try and charge extra cash for a specimen. Real Japanese stony corals are protected, and are not legally exported from that country. While Im sure there are some from Japanese waters floating around the market- they shouldnt be.
Sorry... marketing pet peeve of mine
Putting the work "Japanese" on a coral is just a way for people to try and charge extra cash for a specimen. Real Japanese stony corals are protected, and are not legally exported from that country. While Im sure there are some from Japanese waters floating around the market- they shouldnt be.
Sorry... marketing pet peeve of mine
chrisstie
Premium Member
I think it is a good point to be brought up. Lately the connotation of "japanese" typically means, from the specimens I have seen labelled so 3+ colors on one piece or perhaps "rainbow" ..
I think it has become a little bit of a marketing ploy for some vendors in the same way people on ebay put "R@RE L@@K!" in front of their auctions. That annoys me soooooooo much!
Just like any coral buyer beware I suppose, try to find the healthiest of whatever it is you want you can and one you like for your own reasons, not just a name
I think it has become a little bit of a marketing ploy for some vendors in the same way people on ebay put "R@RE L@@K!" in front of their auctions. That annoys me soooooooo much!
Just like any coral buyer beware I suppose, try to find the healthiest of whatever it is you want you can and one you like for your own reasons, not just a name
I agree. I don't pay any attention to "Japanese" or "non-Indo" labels at all. I'm sure those are accurate descriptions in a lot of cases but I'm just as sure it's a B.S. marketing scheme to drive the price up most of the time. You can tell if a high priced coral is rare by looking at it - if it's an unusually spectacular piece you've never seen before, it probably should command a higher price. I see red and green striped "Japanese" or "non-Indo" Lords for sale all the time. Personally, I don't care if it comes from Japan or Mars. It's still just a red and green Lord like the ones most of us already have. Would you pay more for a yellow #2 pencil because it comes from Japan instead of Ticonderoga N.Y.? I wouldn't.
Jasonincuritiba
New member
"Japanese" are not from Japan, Japan has cold waters so those corals are not found there, what could be the case is that the corals are being shipped through Japan. Japan and Europe get a lot better corals than we do here in the US because they are willing to pay the high prices. Paying $600 for a brightly colored LPS or SPS is quite common over there, here in the US we get the seconds.
Peter Eichler
New member
The corals have been smuggled into the country in the past and there is a good chance they still are. I wouldn't exactly call Japanese waters cold, I believe the mean temperature for a given year is around 24 degrees celsius, and it has been know to go above 30 degrees celsius. The difference between the corals Europe and Japan get compared to us (species wise) is pretty minimal, though perhaps they do get the cream of the crop
smp
New member
I always thought japanese corals came from this string of islands off of the southern most point of Japan? I was under the impression that there are reefs there.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=e...76521,127.661133&spn=11.726322,31.289063&om=1
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=e...76521,127.661133&spn=11.726322,31.289063&om=1
All Delight
New member
Some of the japanese corals look great and some don't. I think just due to the fact that your not supposed to have them and they are plentiful makes them more desirable. You want what you can't have, or what your not supposed to have. Thats how I am anyway. hahaha
I bet if it were reversed and corals from indonesia where not exported. Hammers and frogspawns would probably sell for $500.
I bet if it were reversed and corals from indonesia where not exported. Hammers and frogspawns would probably sell for $500.
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Peter Eichler
New member
I'm not sure where the main collection areas are but I do knwo there are many corals reef off the coast near Okinawa and other areas around "mainland" Japan.
