Pltgyra or goniastrea? id please

[muzzy]

hi
i have a nice moon coral, i always assumed it was a favites until looking in Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman. it looks like a picture in there of a Platygyra although it could also be a Goniastrea.

any takers?

cheers
muzzy

 

[TheMcs]

If you want to get even more confused check Jen Veron's Corals of the World books...

 

[Bcollins111900]

I am leaning towards goniastrea. Not 100% sure. Typicaly the platys I see have longer valleys but that may just be my observation. Nice coral either way.

 

[nemo g]

is there any way to get a clearer picture?

if you cant get a picture, see if you can an edge to retract and take a better look at the skeleton. if the septa has protruding paliform lobes its a goniastrea, if not its a platygyra.

Bcollins, take a look at the following pictures, amazing how seemingly identical corals are different species. one you woould think is a goniastrea, and the converse is true with the other, yet the opposite is true.

<A href="PLACE LINK HERE">Goniastrea australensis</A>

<img src="http://www.env.go.jp/nature/nco/kinki/kushimoto/sangozuk/gazo/unekamenokoki.jpg">


Platygyra

<img src="http://www.seahorses.dk/Images/hjernelille.jpg">

 

[Bcollins111900]

The platygra seems to have more texture in it's ridges (pictured above) and the goniastrea seems to have smoother ridges or ridges with less texture. The pic he provided seems to have less texture but like you stated a better pic would help. The valleys between the two def. show similarity. I compaired two pics of the coral myself and did not notice major diff. in the valleys. Either way nice brain coral, lol.

 

[muzzy]

thanks for the replies guys.
ive taken another pic, well lots actually and this is about as good as it gets with my camera im afraid.
it looks more like the bottom picture posted above - platygyra.

 

[DarkXerox]

Oh nice, I've had a piece that looks exactly like yours for probably 4 years now, but never knew what it was. Now I do haha.