>>Hi Eric:
Very good article on Millepora spp. I did have a few questions however. I noticed that the spellings of "Gastrozoids" and "Dactylozoids" were sometimes spelt (is that a word?) with one "oids" or two "ooids" and was just curious as to which it is? Obvioously, this waz a transcription error.<,
Good eyes, Steve...you're no supposed to catch mistakes a there aren't supposed to be any. should have two oo's....zooids.
>>You also mentioned that the Zoox were contained in the "Cenosarcs & Coenosteum". Does that mean that the algae is somehow incorporated within the Ca++ matrix itself? If so, then how do they carry out their physiologic function<<
Another great question. Coenosarc is usually used to refer to tissues and coenosteum to the stony matrix. However, Millepora literature repeatedly refers to coenosteum as living...I think this is an artifact of old terminology, and have not seen any indication that it has chnaged...thus, its a guess, but the skeleton is not living and algae are not in the skeleton...would be rather useless!
>>You also mention the "Gastrozoids" as the "feeding polyps" so I assume that they have "mouths or openings" for feeding? Is that correct?<<
Yes, but not like in coral polyps as they are all interior within the skeleton.
>>Finally, I assume that the "Cyclosystem" channels the food particles from the dactylozoids to the gastrozoids where they are then consumed and dispursed throughout the colony?<,
Exactamundo.
>>Great article and my knowledge of Millepora has at least quadrupled!! Thanks, Steve<<
thanks!!
>> This coral is adaptable and unstoppable, and if you have it encrusting your live rock it'll spread from rock to rock as long as they are contiguous! <<
if condtions are rights, absolutely!!
<< Hey, I've got a pacific Millepora species from Fiji, that Walt Smith sold as an aquacultured piece, in my display tank at my store. I'd like to take it home to my 350, because I have 2- 40 gallon CSD's on it and 400 iwasaki's, just to see how fast it will grow, and to enjoy it of course. I'm worried that it might encrust over living Acropora, Montipora, Poccillopora sp.'s though. I don't care if it encrusts the rock, but don't want a Millepora covered Acro skeleton either. What do you think it will do?<<
I think it will kill and cover those corals if that's the growth form it develops....the encrusting nature of Millepora seems to be potentially there for all growth forms, and high water flow encourages it....but, I do have some in my tank that seems to prefer to branch rather than encrust. So, if yours starts to encrust like mad, move things out of its way because I don;t think those corals will be able to stave it off for long.
>>Be careful with Larry's Millepora, did you see how it looked before he tore the rock out?<<
Sure did. SCARY!
>> I was at Inland Aquatics, when the rock arrived and there wasn't as much growth off of the rock, compared to how much it had encrusted. Larry had warned me about putting it in my tank, saying " ...You might not like me anymore after you put it in your tank." I belive his is/was a carribean species though. <<
He told me the same thing and I already saw it coming. Fortunately, I suppose, several tank crashes have set it back from time to time, and once it fell and was buried for months...but, obviously, it comes back easily. That is about a five pound rock its covering now...and it is growing faster now than it ever has...the way it grows is very unusual, too...its almost as though a film spreads within days over an amazingly large area, and then thickens till it forms a good crust of coral...then stop encrusting for awhile and send up some branches....then outwards again. My other colonies don't do this...much more typical of say, an Acropora.
