Interesting Blasto Development

[stevedola]

About 9 months ago I purchase a very nice blasto welsi colony.

After about 2 months the colony started to receed and die. All but 3 heads where killed. I believe it was coral toxins but who knows. I have kept the skeleton in my tank because on the skeleton one of the polyps still remained and i wanted somewhere for new heads to form. That head is multiplying but whats really interesting is that the dead skeleton is growing new heads out of the middle of the dead heads. I had thought that maybe this was because there was still life on that piece but I have another single head that I had tried to save 7months ago that is attached to a rock that is doing the same thing...growing back its formerly dead flesh.

Has this ever happened to you with any of your blastos>? I have seen hammers and torches come back from almost nothing but alittle piece of flesh but never a blasto and never after 6-7months of dead skeleton that has become coraline covered. My camera isnt working but Ill get one and post a pic when I can...just wanted to see if anyone had this same expirience.

 

[xdusty6920]

no cant say ive ever had that happen to me. but i have kept coral skeleton for months after death just hoping for something to grow back lol

 

[foozdog]

i gave my buddy a rock that at one time had green button polyps.they were gone and dead.it's a year later and the rock is now covered they have also spread to other parts of the tank.not the same coral but thought u may find it interesting.

 

[keckles]

That sounds like an example of anthocauli. But, it is pretty rare to see outside of Fungiids.

Interesting.

 

[stevedola]

I cant seem to get a good picture of the new polyps. I dont have access to a SLR type camera so high definition is very difficult to obtain. Ill keep trying but no promises.

keckles- what exactly is anthocauli>? when polyps grow from dead skeleton?

 

[keckles]

It is when a seemingly dead coral asexually produces a small polyp of the same species from within its skeleton.

Basically, the coral looks dead but then a baby pops out.

It is commonly seen in Fungiids. I have never heard of an example from Blastomussa, though.

 

[xdusty6920]

yeah ive read several articles on the phenomenon in fungia. its a really interesting thing to see. ive seen phishy business selling several of these dead fungia skeletons with tons of buds on them.

 

[TypeSH]

I've had this happen to me on a frogspawn and an octopus coral. Both colonies melted when my tank overheated. I left the skeletons in the tank, and about a year later, babies started to sprout back. My octopus coral was only one head, but three babies sprouted back. Another year 2 years of growth has allowed my colony to grow back to it's original size.

You never know what you will get if you just leave the coral skeleton in the tank.

Sam