ORA And Species

returnofsid

returnofsid

New member
I thought I'd start this thread for those of us who are interested in species identification. ORA has some outstanding corals available, and some with great and imaginative names. I just wish they'd list the species, when they know it. Sooo, I figured I'd start this thread, in the hopes of getting some species names to go with those great ORA titles.

I have several ORA corals, and am pretty sure I recently IDd one of my recent purchases.

ORA Red Planet. I believe this to be a tabling acropora hyacinthus.

Next??
 
like hawkins echinata isnt really an echinata? does that count?...lol. i wish i was better at identifying species as i have no idea what purple plasma, plum crazy, borealis, bellina or many of the others are. good idea for a thread though.
 
That's the whole purpose of this thread. Some ORA corals are species IDd, such as the Torts, or Millis. Others, such as some you listed, aren't. It'd be nice to know.
 
Get's kinda complicated...I've heard that the ORA blue mille is actually a prostrata, but then I hear some people think prostrata and mille are the same species, just different growths due to location... :-/
 
I think that for the most part we as aquariusts are going to have to resolve to generalities. I am comfortable saying that Red Planet is a Millipora, based on the general understanding that it has elongated polyps and Horshoe shaped coralites. In trying to get down to an actual sub-species level, I would defer to this article:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/eb/index.php
I wish that places like ORA would give Scientific ID's prepared by a taxonomist, and perhaps they will one day.
 
Frakenpora, I agree, to a point. However, I think it's important to know species, when possible, to figure out placement, flow and light requirements...etc. For instance, A. valida isn't near as light demanding as some other Acropora species. Another reason, and you bring it up with the reference of the Red Planet. I actually don't think it is a A. millipora, but an A. hyacinthus, a tabling Acropora. This means that it would need to be located differently than an A. millipora, because of it's growth pattern. It also would need much more flow than A. millipora.
 
i am trying to start and sps tank and when designing the layout of the tank i am trying to consider color and structure when deciding where coral placement will be. I have number of books etc.. where i can decide ok i have this light flow etc... and this space needs a coral that has this structure for example a tabling coral. so from there i take my book and look to see what options are for a tabling acro or whatever. so when i go to the LFS though and look at all the frags they have generic names like ORA whatever or just some name they've given the coral. This makes it very difficult to get what i want then IMO. I like this thread because it would be much easier for me and the way I would design a tank to have a more scientific name associated with a coral so i can select the right coral for me instead of taking the LFS word for it. obviously i can still find these corals online etc.. but am not able to identify well enough yet to just look at a frag and know what type of coral or growth pattern it will have.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14724054#post14724054 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by returnofsid
Frakenpora, I agree, to a point. However, I think it's important to know species, when possible, to figure out placement, flow and light requirements...etc. For instance, A. valida isn't near as light demanding as some other Acropora species. Another reason, and you bring it up with the reference of the Red Planet. I actually don't think it is a A. millipora, but an A. hyacinthus, a tabling Acropora. This means that it would need to be located differently than an A. millipora, because of it's growth pattern. It also would need much more flow than A. millipora.
Click to expand...

I agree.
Valida is Very different from Milli.
Just a Poccilipora would be different from Tenuis.
My point is other than placement for asthetics and other reasons.
A hyachinthus will have very similar care needs to a Milli.
All of the species listed above are Acro's
I just wonder how far you can really go w/o being a taxonomist.
Don't get me wrong, I would like to know as much as possible,
I just wonder how for down the family tree is needed for the general wellbeing of a reef.
 
You're right, that all Acropora have similar needs, for the most part. But if we're able to get more species information, it'll help some. For instance, A. hyachinthus, being a tabling acro, would require more room, once it starts to table. It also helps to know if a certain coral is going to table, instead of bush or branch. This way, we can place it in our aquarium accordingly. I've also read that tabling Acros need A LOT more flow and are some of the most light demanding Acros. Now I have to wonder if I have enough lighting for my Red Planet...lol.

Besides, trying to identify corals is FUN!!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14724643#post14724643 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by returnofsid
You're right, that all Acropora have similar needs, for the most part. But if we're able to get more species information, it'll help some. For instance, A. hyachinthus, being a tabling acro, would require more room, once it starts to table. It also helps to know if a certain coral is going to table, instead of bush or branch. This way, we can place it in our aquarium accordingly. I've also read that tabling Acros need A LOT more flow and are some of the most light demanding Acros. Now I have to wonder if I have enough lighting for my Red Planet...lol.

Besides, trying to identify corals is FUN!!!
Click to expand...

Agreed!
 
The problem is simply, from what I have read, scientist think there are as many as 500 SPS species or as few as 5 highly variable species. Its damn hard.
 
Wow, I've posted this same thread on 4 different forums. On the other 3, I've got some very good, and informed, guesses. Here, I just get a bunch of reasons that it can't be done. Come on people. Here on RC, we have an SPS ID forum. People are always posting, looking for IDs. People are always answering with their best guesses. That's all I'm looking for.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14726589#post14726589 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by returnofsid
Wow, I've posted this same thread on 4 different forums. On the other 3, I've got some very good, and informed, guesses. Here, I just get a bunch of reasons that it can't be done. Come on people. Here on RC, we have an SPS ID forum. People are always posting, looking for IDs. People are always answering with their best guesses. That's all I'm looking for.
Click to expand...

Well we are just being realistic about the situation.
I took a look at your item in the ID forum, and gave it my best educated oppinion that it is probably a Tort. But that was'nt good enough to go with your other posts in other forums.
If you want some made up B.S. apparently this is the wrong forum. If you want an ID post it in the ID Forum, If your not happy with what other people think then figure it out yourself.
There are peolple looking at that forum, and trying to help out.
Be thankful for the help.

For reference:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1607372

Sorry to Rant at you, but you come off like ID this for me, and then you act like OMG I can't believe you guys can't ID this.
There is another coral in the ID forum right now I would love to ID, but I have no clue what it could be, Other than an Acropora ?
If there was an easy way to ID coral, it would have been done.
 
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Ummmm, nowhere did I disagree with your ID in my other thread. I just offered what other people had suggested. I even enjoy attempting to ID corals when I'm able to. That's what this thread is about. This thread is not about IDing anything in particular for myself. I see lots of thread with people asking specifics about certain ORA corals. Because of this, I thought it'd be helpful to open it up for discussion. When I did open it up for discussion, in several other forums, I got educated guesses. Here I get negativity. I'm not saying that all Acros can be species IDd, but I know some can. Also, I know that some people, here on RC have spoken directly with ORA and might have information to offer. In fact, here's a partial list of ORA corals with somewhat accurate IDs.

Green Bali Slimer - Acropora yongei
Blue-tip Staghorn - Acropora formosa
Nathan's Green Millepora - Acropora millepora
Blue Millepora - Acropora millepora
Rose Millepora - Acropora millepora
Scripps Pink Millepora - Acropora millepora
Chip's Acropora - Acropora sp.
Fuzzy Staghorn - Acropora abrolhosensis.
Indo Purple-tip Staghorn - Acropora sp.
Miami Orchid Staghorn - Acroipora sp.
Tri-color Valida Staghorn - Acropora valida
Purple Tri-color Staghorn - Acropora nana
Blue Tort Staghorn - Acropora tortuosa
Purple-tip Bottlebrush - Acropora sp.
Purple Pillow Coral - Acropora sp.
Stuber Staghorn - Acropora sp.
Turquoise Staghorn - Acropora sp.
Delicate Staghorn - Acropora sp.
Red Sea Green Staghorn - Acropora sp.
Scripps Green tip Staghorn - Acropora micropthalama
Fiji Purple-tip Staghorn - Acropora sp.
Blue Tenuis - Acropora sp.

- MONTIPORA SPECIES
German Blue-polyp digitata - Montipora digitata
Green digitata - Montipora digitata
Grape digitata - Montipora digitata
Orange digitata - Montipora digitata
Super Purple digitata - Montipora digitata
Sunset digitata - Montipora digitata
Elkhorn Montipora - Montipora hirusuta
Orange Capricornis - Montipora capricornis
Purple Capricornis - Montipora capricornis

- POCILLOPORA SPECIES
Green damicornis - Pocillopora damicornis
Pink damicornis - Pocillopora damicornis

- SERIATOPORA SPECIES
Pink Bird's Nest - Seriatopora hystrix
Green Bird's Nest - Seriatopora guttatus

- STYLOPHORA SPECIES
Pink Stylophora - Stylophora pistillata
Green Stylophora - Stylophora pistillata

I guess I apologize for what I thought would be a fun and challenging thread. My bad.
 
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Hey, thanks for the list! You saved me some time looking it up for a tank profile page that Im working on.

Dont let a de-railed thread get you down ;)
 
Frankenpora have you seen the red planet in person? It's nothing like a millipora at all, It probably is like most say acropora hyacinthus.
 
purple plasma, possibly Acropora horrida

pearlberry, I used to think Acropora parilis, but know as it matures I am not so sure, maybe even a Acropora cerealis

red planet, not so sure on this on , I dont think it is a acropora hyacinthus, I have one of these and the growth form is a little different. if we were to go with a tableing type, I would lean more to Acropora cytherea. again this is only a quess at this one.
 
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