Orange Lepestrea or Orange Pavona

[AwwNuts]

So my wife took a trip to a lfs a month ago and got a nice addition for our tank. Since she purchased it i had my doubts that the lfs might of miss - identified this guy and possibly overcharged.

My wife bought it as a Orange Lepestrea but I was thinking that it is a Orange Pavona

Can I get some confirmation please

 

[A. Grandis]

Hummm.. I would think Leptastrea sp.
But P. gigantea is similar.

Grandis.

 

[reefcoco]

Me too, it looks like a Leptastrea sp.

 

[elmafioso52988]

Definitely pavona

 

[dadummy]

DSCN2554 by daddeee, on Flickr


pavona


now that's a lame picture lol

 

[cal3v]

I have both and that is definitely pavona. Nice piece either way!

 

[A. Grandis]

Yep, if we have to choose between the 2, that's probably a Pavona. My bad!
Note the connections between polyps (septocostae).
Normally Leptastrea spp. would be smooth between polyps.

Grandis.

 

[AwwNuts]

I'm really leaning towards Pavona as "i don't own a lepeastrea and i could be wrong" but based on some pictures i seen, the composition of mouths and polyps look much different than my picture.

 

[noy]

looks like a Leptastrea - the pavona forms very definite circular coralites in my experience. I'm not seeing that from the closeup photo - but you are the better judge.

here is my pavona - i'll take an updated photo when I get a chance.

IMG_4181

 

[AwwNuts]

Doesn't the leptastrea suppose to be more polyp coral?
Been goggling images and from picture reference it looks more like an orange pavona but I don't want to wrongly ID it if it is a Leptastrea.
Also does the leptastrea form its own skeleton base or does it plate semi soft flesh.

 

[triggreef]

Thats a pavona. Feed it some mysis and you'll know, I'm pretty sure pavona won't eat that. My leptastrea looks nothing like that, and it eats anything that falls on it almost immediately.

The lined pattern is typical pavona. Even cactus pavona has the lined pattern but you can see it until the flesh retracts on the cactus version.

leptastrea

Pavona...

Cool pavona article. Pavona is about halfway down.... http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/12/aafeature2

 

[Nano sapiens]

That is the orange/copper-metallic form of Pavona maldivensis. I've had my piece for years and it's one of favorite corals. It's quite aggressive (has ~1" sweeper tentacles), so I wouldn't place any other coral too close to it.

 

[AwwNuts]

Ok. The only other Pavona I have in my tank is a upper plating Pavona that forms into cabbage shape. Check out this link of my tank and you'll see it.

http://youtu.be/bvhM0t2FA1Y

It would be crazy if this Pavona formed the same way as the one I currently have on the video as it would look pretty awesome in neon orange.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Ok. The only other Pavona I have in my tank is a upper plating Pavona that forms into cabbage shape. Check out this link of my tank and you'll see it.

http://youtu.be/bvhM0t2FA1Y

It would be crazy if this Pavona formed the same way as the one I currently have on the video as it would look pretty awesome in neon orange.

In my experience, lower light will cause the maldivensis to plate like a flying saucer. Higher light will cause it to form mounds which loosely follow the live rock contours.

 

[a.browning]

100% is a Pavona, looks like a maldivensis.

 

[AwwNuts]

thanks Nano, a. browning and everyone else for the assistance. I had a hunch that it couldn't be but just wasn't sure if it was a type of leptastrea that i was not familiar with. My cousin bought a frag like this from the same LFS that i got it from and was told the same that it was a leptastrea. I'll be breaking the news to him shortly lol.

 

[A. Grandis]

Pavona maldivensis:
http://coral.aims.gov.au/factsheet.jsp?speciesCode=0293

Pavona gigantea:
http://coral.aims.gov.au/factsheet.jsp?speciesCode=0600

Pavona diffluens:
http://coral.aims.gov.au/factsheet.jsp?speciesCode=0697

Is there any chance for you to post a picture taken from above?

Grandis.

 

[AwwNuts]

Tried to take some pics early this morning when I woke up. Hope they help. I may need to bring out my had camera and take good pictures rather than cell pics with my Note 2. The frag is in an awkward position and far down for me to take a detailed pic with my phone. I was able to take a awesome close up under actinic before puttying it down which is on my first post.