Mini Branching Dendro

[raoul]

http://www.atlantisaquarium.net/LPSofties1.html

I'm a bit confused...still...

I accidentally got a dendro around Christmas thinking it was a sun coral. Since then I've been trying to understand the difference between the two, but have very little information. So, the biggest differences I was able to guess from the posts here and pics online is that dendroes are bigger, more likely to be open during the day, and their coloration is a bit different. Months back I asked if these were correct assumptions but never got a reply

At this point this is the best info I have, so imagine my surprise when I was surfing atlantisaquarium and found mini branching dendroes! If size is a distinguishing factor wouldn't these simply be branching suncorals? Are they trying to cash in on the dendro name? Are they hoping people just don't have the info needed to know the difference? OR is size not really a reliable way to tell the difference between the two?

If size is not a good way to tell the difference between the two, then how do you? I would be really ticked to pay $80 a head for a sun coral when I thought I was getting a dendro.

Any help clarifying the differences between the two, and if you think the pics in the link are actually mini dendroes would be great. TIA!

 

[deanos]

WetWebMedia - Dendrophylliidae

Excerpt: Genus Dendrophyllia: Near impossible to distinguish from Tubastrea w/o microscopic analysis of corallite skeletons.

 

[chrisstie]

To me what they are calling "unknown dendro" looks to be a sun coral to me. I find that sun corals tend to have more vividly colored skeletons like the pink with really yellow polyps kind of what they have in the pic.

The dendros i've owned, and sure let me whip out my microscope and compare coral skeletons.. no wait, i dont even have a microscope

Just from experience and trusting my LFS the dendros i've seen\owned have had a darker orange skeleton and a certain transluscence to their polyps that arne't so bright yellow and dont branch out in that manner.

Edit: might eat my words.. atlantis looks like sun polyp but the "new species" at roesmarineworld looks more dendro to me http://www.roesmarineworld.com/images/_95z16.jpg

 

[raoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9716095#post9716095 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deanos
WetWebMedia - Dendrophylliidae

Excerpt: Genus Dendrophyllia: Near impossible to distinguish from Tubastrea w/o microscopic analysis of corallite skeletons.

I remember reading that, but couldn't remember where I saw it. So, again, without looking at the skeleton, how does someone know they're not buying and $80 head of suncoral?

I think the pic from roesmarineworld looks more like the things I've bought as suncoral, the polyps don't look translucent to me, but then again, we're not seeing much of the picture, and obviously I'm no expert

More ideas welcome and appreciated

 

[chrisstie]

If it helps here's a pic of the dendro and baby I had- it got stung by a little piece of frogspawn that was floating around in the tank and died but now babies are cropping up at the base...
You might see a horizontal line thats choppy going across near the top of the big polyp- that is where skeleton ends and flesh begins.. nearly identical in color

 

[raoul]

Sorry to hear about your dendro getting stung, at least there's babies That's a good shot though.

I have a dendro too, and I know what you mean about the tentacles on the polyps looking translucent. What I'm curious about though, is if the only way to really tell the difference between a dendro and a tubastrea is by examining the skeletal features (I think it's the septa that's different), how can a retailer and/or hobbiest know what they're really getting? I see a difference between what I have now and what I used to have but are these characteristics reliable in distinguishing to two?

I'm just trying to understand how a retailer looks at a piece and says dendro instead of suncoral if they can't see the skeletal features, and in the same situation how a hobbiest can make an informed decision.

 

[ReefingIt]

All I can say is good luck to Atlantis in trying to sell these at $80 a pop. I'll give them $80 for the entire tubastrea colony.

 

[Sand_tubeworm]

Is this the same as Roe's. "Branching Sun Corals"

[/IMG]

 

[Sand_tubeworm]

Sorry, can somebody help me. how to download the photo ?

Thank-you

 

[raoul]

Sorry, I only know how to download pics that I've taken, I just provide a link for other pics