Montipora just morphed?!

[MechEng99]

Ok...this is a new one on me.

I've had your standard, run-of-the-mill pink plating Montipora for about 3 years now. Last year, something happened (never figured out what), and it almost entirely died. It's growing back, but on one part of it...the polyps are somewhat rainbow colored. So, most of the polyps are still pink, but on a little dime-sized area, the polyps are green, orange, yellow, and red.

Any idea what's going on? Anyone else seen this happen?

I couldn't find my main camera, so please excuse the horrible cell phone pics. Hopefully you'll get the idea.

 

[animalkingdom]

very cool!

 

[fishguy597]

Running LEDs?

 

[MechEng99]

Running LEDs?

I am now, but I was actually running a 150W MH (the coral is in my QT tank) when the change started. The really weird part is that the base is still pink - only the polyps changed color.

 

[footballdude2k3]

For a lot of rainbows, the base stays the same color, and the polyps are different, you can now charge $4500 an inch!

 

[MechEng99]

So no idea on what caused the polyps to change color in this one section? I've ead that new zooxanthallae can take over a bleached area, but the coral never bleached. And, I would've expected the base to change too.

 

[animalkingdom]

I think its a reefing mystery...so many possibilities.
My first guess would be a epigenetic restructuring of the pigment producing genes. What can trigger epigenetic restructuring varies from viral infection all the way to getting stung by a neighboring coral. Pretty much and environmental stimuli can trigger such an event. Very cool though

 

[Mercurio]

That's awesome! I wish my monti would do that lol.