morphing Zoas?

[JJ650]

I have a couple of Zoa colonies in my Solana.
One colony has been in there for several weeks. 2 weeks ago (give or take a couple of days) I added another colony.
The original colony is an "eagle eye" colony. This new one didn't have anything close to the coloration. Today, I looked over the new guys and they are turning colors the same as the eagle eyes. Is this possible or have the 2 already "mingled" some DNA in tank and already and sprouting some hybrids??

Seems unlikely given the recent addition, but I KNOW they weren't on the new colony when I got them. They ARE however growing rapidly, so it may be possible??

 

[A. Grandis]

It is possible.
They are morphing.
Pics please?

Grandis.

 

[ViktorVaughn]

I have 2 or 3 eagle eye polyps that randomly sprouted up in a completely different frag. Guessing my urchin might have fragged a couple polyps and they ended up over there. On a large Zoanthid rock I put together, I have two of my fastest growers right next to each other. The new polyps have retained the skirt color (orange) from one Zoanthid and the plate color (slate/light blue) of another. Its been about 4 months ago that I put the rock together with about 7 different varieties of Zoanthids so my morphing took quite some time. I'll post up some pictures when I get home later.

 

[JJ650]

Sure thing!

This is the old colony that I have had for a little while.


This is the newest colony that has seem a load of new growth with the addition of some new coloration.



The other side of the rock. Completely different colors and a lot of growth. The new growth has been over a 2 week time frame. Most of the heads on the left of frame to center and down is new. Upper right is old.



Originally, the new colony had a uniform coloration like this. This part fell off and I put it in my smaller tank. There are no zoas in the small tank. These are the only ones and they have maintained their original shape/coloration

 

[JJ650]

No ideas huh? Was just a curiosity on my part.

 

[A. Grandis]

I'm confused with those pictures.
I think the polyps are nice.
I can't picture what you're trying to say about morphing there.
Perhaps they aren't morphing at all and many species are mixed over the rock.
That happens a lot.

Grandis.

 

[JJ650]

Sorry if it was not clear. I had just got a colony a couple of weeks ago (pic#2). Uniform colors and almost no variation in the polyps. Within a couple weeks in the tank, new heads popped up that were identical to my original colony (pic#1). I didn't think they would have "mingled" so quickly.

 

[A. Grandis]

Well, it is hard to believe they just born from nowhere on the rock.
If sexual reproduction was the case, other rocks would have newborns too.
That said, I prefer to think they were there and you didn't notice them.

One thing is to have the polyps there and they just change colors (morphing).
Other thing is to have them popped up on the rocks.

Other option is:

If you really want to make sure they are the same species, but different colors within the same colony, you'll need to exam their coenenchyme. Look at the base of the colony and try to see if they are one piece, or separated from each other.
If the different colors aren't connected they are individual colonies and they were probably there before.

That's all I can think of.

Grandis.

 

[JJ650]

Well, it is hard to believe they just born from nowhere on the rock.
If sexual reproduction was the case, other rocks would have newborns too.
That said, I prefer to think they were there and you didn't notice them.

One thing is to have the polyps there and they just change colors (morphing).
Other thing is to have them popped up on the rocks.

Other option is:

If you really want to make sure they are the same species, but different colors within the same colony, you'll need to exam their coenenchyme. Look at the base of the colony and try to see if they are one piece, or separated from each other.
If the different colors aren't connected they are individual colonies and they were probably there before.

That's all I can think of.

Grandis.

Thanks. Will check.