Is this an LPS?

[SlavicSavage]

I'm trying to get a coral in my 14 gallon biocube identified and posted this on the general reef forums, but no one there seems to know what this thing is thus far so I figured I would post the question here. The reason I'm posting it here is because it seems to be growing out of a skeletal stalk and thus it might be considered an LPS.

I bought some Zoanthids a while back and there was a very tiny polyp or something growing a bit below the zoas on the rock. It looked so tiny and near dead I just left it on the rock to see what happened to it. Now, 3 months later, it has gotten a bit larger and is kind of cool looking, but the zoas as well have grown quite a bit too. As you can see in the picture blow the zoas are now pretty much on top of the polyp and I'd like to stop them from overtaking it and killing it, I guess by carefully fragging the polyp and moving it away from the zoanthids. Does anyone know what it is, how to take care of it, and most importantly how I should go about fragging it so it will grow and hopefully keep getting larger or split?

Thanks

Now for the picture:

 

[theop]

Cool. I don't know what it is.

Maybe a Telmatactis sp. anemone ?

 

[keaton]

VERY COOL... is it growing on a hard stalk?

 

[DiViNeLeFT]

looks a lot like this hitchhiker we got in our office tank...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=927776

dont pay attention to the people claiming it to be a majano. when we tried to get it off the rock it broke in half, definitly had a skeleton. neither half survived unfortunatly.

 

[dvmsn]

I would vote for a small plate coral.

 

[paininthewrasse]

def not a plate coral..

does it have any sort of skeleton or is it soft like a zoanthid?

 

[Hormigaquatica]

If it has a hard skeleton to it, my first thought would be Cynaria. Looks more like an anemone to me, but dunno. Can you get a photo of it closed up?

 

[RandyO]

I would guess it's a baby Cynarina lacrymalis.

Characters: Corals are monocentric, oval or circular, and are cylindrical with a base for attachment, or have a pointed base when free-living. Primary septa are thick and have extremely large, rounded or lobed teeth. Paliform lobes are usually well developed. Columellae are broad and compact. Tentacles are extended only at night. During the day the mantle is inflated with water and is translucent so that the toothed primary septo-costae are clearly seen. In conditions of low light the mantle may be over twice the diameter of the skeleton. Colour: Usually mixtures of green or brown, but may be pink and sometimes other colours. Similar species: Closest to Indophyllia macassarensis. Habitat: Protected reef environments and deep sandy substrates. Abundance: Seldom common but always conspicuous.


Taxonomic note: Acanthophyllia deshayesiana (Michelin, 1850) (the only species of Acanthophyllia Wells, 1937) is a synonym of Cynarina lacrymalis. Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic references: Chevalier (1975), Veron and Pichon (1980). Identification guides: Veron (1986), Sheppard and Sheppard (1991), Nishihira and Veron (1995).

 

[SlavicSavage]

It does have a skeletal base. I broke the base away from the rock with the zoanthids and mounted it to a piece of live rock. It suffered some minor blunt force damage in the process but I don't think i actually tore or cut any tissue in the process. I also damaged a newly forming zoanthid that was just starting to overtake it. Hopefully the zoanthid will die and whatever this thing is will live. I think I agree most with the cynaria, and it's colors are awesome so if it grows into one of those it should be quite a nice specimen. I really hope it lives.

 

[Lizz85]

Looks like some sort of Cup Coral to me, perhaps an astrangia sp. IMO, it doesn't look like a Cynaria.

 

[kraftyforu]

whatever it is it looks hungry