Is this sarcophyton?

[AustinVines]

I picked up this cool little frag yesterday and was hoping it was sarcophyton sp. and not a sinlularia. I just read from E. Borneman that sinularia and hammers do not get along well and I don't want to create chemical warfare in my fairly new tank. Here is a cropped shot. The only sarcophyton I am familiar with has long polyps that are much closer together.

 

[graveyardworm]

Certainly looks like a sarcophyton. Its just a small frag as it matures the polyps will most likely extend further.

 

[GovtCheese]

I 2nd that :bum:

 

[AustinVines]

Thank you. I was looking for something that would grow into something like this but it is still a cool little tonga leather:

 

[GovtCheese]

only time will tell:bum:

 

[vessxpress1]

I can't say for sure this is exactly the same as mine but it looks really close. Just based on the structure, color and spacing of the polyps and mine looks exactly like that when the polyps are retracted. Sometimes they go all the way in. But the spacing is a lot like this one. Here's mine. This may be what you can expect:

I know this next pic may not show it very well but I was trying to show the polyp extension. Some of them are over an inch. I just fed the tank a little bit ago so they're really extended right now, but it's close to the norm.
The head of this coral is roughly the size of a half dollar:

One of my favorites for sure.

 

[AustinVines]

I can see why that is a fav. The mother colony I got it from was 8mths old, had been fragged off several times but was still stubby. I will let it grow and see what I end up with. Thanks

 

[graveyardworm]

So you've seen the parent that the frag came from? Were the polyps just like yours, or were they more extended? It's hard to tell with the actinics in your photo, what color is the frag without the actinics?

 

[GovtCheese]

just out of curiosity... what is the typical growth rate for a sarc?

 

[graveyardworm]

I think it may have to with environmental conditions, like lighting, feeding, available nutrients, and flow. Mine add about 2 inches diameter per year.

 

[GovtCheese]

:thumbsup:

 

[AustinVines]

Here is the parent colony under MH. I guess it is just a short polyped sarc?

 

[graveyardworm]

Looks to me as though you may have sarcophyton elegans. If so the polyps will most likely remain short. Very nice and desireable coral.

 

[AustinVines]

Thanks for the id graveyard! I hope I can keep it happy and growing. As an aside, what is in your avatar's skull and where is it from?

 

[graveyardworm]

Its also called fiji leather. If this is what you have, they are a bit more demanding than the common sarcophyton from what I've read. I have one and it is doing great under t-5 lights with excellent water quality. Apparently they need more light than the common sarcophyton. I believe in the wild they are commonly found in somewhat shallow water. It looks happy in your original picture so you may be all set.

My skull has worms in it, not sure where I found it.

 

[tinyreef]

i'd guess sarcophyton serenei.

the polyps are farther apart and show distinctly greater distance toward the center. s. elegans' polyps are usually more uniformly dispersed and compact (i.e. more per square inch). imo you can't really tell them apart until either gets bigger/mature.

some cap edge differences too, s. serenei tends to be thinner imo, like s. latum.

i'd say similar care for either though. i find s. serenei more prone to cleaning issues and probably slightly higher flow requirements.

 

[GovtCheese]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7718026#post7718026 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by graveyardworm
Looks to me as though you may have sarcophyton elegans.

I agree with yardworm... that is what my sarc elegans looks like :beer:

 

[GovtCheese]

looks like you have a few elegans in your tank....
Is the big one in the center attached to the glass?

 

[jefathome]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7715751#post7715751 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by graveyardworm
I think it may have to with environmental conditions, like lighting, feeding, available nutrients, and flow. Mine add about 2 inches diameter per year.

I had one that went from about 6in diameter to about 12in diameter in about 6 months. It finally got so big I had to sell it.
Well, actually, I traded it for an exquisit wrasse.

 

[AustinVines]

The first pic is from my tank, Cheese. The second pic is the mother colony. He fragged all the smaller ones, including my piece off the larger specimen that looks like it is attached to the back glass but I don't remember it attached like that.

So are you a professional student at SFSU?