velvetelvis
Active member
I'm trying to figure out whether the coral I "rescued" today is a Distichopora, or a Millepora, and I was wondering if there are any external cues (aside from getting stung) that could clue me in.
I was visiting a LFS I haven't been to in a long time when I noticed a coral labeled "Stylaster" in the frag rack, lying on its side. I asked about it and the LFS employee told me that it was a "fire coral" and had come in on some live rock. He was able to pick it up barehanded to show it to me (although I guess that might not signify if the little hairs were withdrawn anyway). I went with the designation of "Stylaster" and the thought that it would perish if it stayed at the store (a little tissue seems to have receded on the side that was on the tank bottom), and bought it.
I had already donned my cape and was in full-on "Don't worry little coral, I will save you!" mode--I didn't even consider the possibility that it might actually be evil Millepora instead of helpless Distichopora. I don't think it's Stylaster; the branches are too thick and blunt-tipped. It's a light orange color, not neon-vivid, but not mustard or brown like the fire corals I remember getting pranged by while snorkeling in the Keys.
The colony is small, about 1.5" high, and grows in a single fan-shaped plane. The branches don't interlock like the pictures of Millepora I've seen online. I'm not real keen on giving it a squeeze to check for stings. It looks a lot like this, though much smaller. I don't have a photo yet but will try to get one.
I was visiting a LFS I haven't been to in a long time when I noticed a coral labeled "Stylaster" in the frag rack, lying on its side. I asked about it and the LFS employee told me that it was a "fire coral" and had come in on some live rock. He was able to pick it up barehanded to show it to me (although I guess that might not signify if the little hairs were withdrawn anyway). I went with the designation of "Stylaster" and the thought that it would perish if it stayed at the store (a little tissue seems to have receded on the side that was on the tank bottom), and bought it.
I had already donned my cape and was in full-on "Don't worry little coral, I will save you!" mode--I didn't even consider the possibility that it might actually be evil Millepora instead of helpless Distichopora. I don't think it's Stylaster; the branches are too thick and blunt-tipped. It's a light orange color, not neon-vivid, but not mustard or brown like the fire corals I remember getting pranged by while snorkeling in the Keys.
The colony is small, about 1.5" high, and grows in a single fan-shaped plane. The branches don't interlock like the pictures of Millepora I've seen online. I'm not real keen on giving it a squeeze to check for stings. It looks a lot like this, though much smaller. I don't have a photo yet but will try to get one.
