Pretty sure this is acan maxima

[neyugn0w01]

The ones Atlantis had came from a local wholesaler in the Bay Area. A couple was floating around the local stores and could be had for $50 dollars for 3 polyps or so. Those for sure are not Maximas. Atlantis was one of the first to capitalize on that market. Aquarium Concept in Hayward had a small colony of 10 plus polyps back in the hay days.

I had a few in my tank and I know they are not lobos, lords, micros, favia, etc.... Why you ask? Because when you place them next to each other, the unknown maxima would send out destroyer tentacles to kill all the other mention corals.

 

[RandyO]

Hey Lam,
Can you describe the destroyer tentacles?

 

[Creetin]

I noticed this just now looking at the polyps at night with this acan. The polyps are not connected by any flesh, It looks to be seperate polyps like in vernons pic there. Plus the polyps are irregular compared to the normal acan polyp. They are not the typical of lord polyps. This looks to me what a scoly and a lord hybrid would look like.

 

[Creetin]

Plus that orange one on captives looks like Acanthastrea ishigakiensis not a maxima. IMO
OK vernons says max coralite size of 50mm. That puts it right around the 2 inch mark.

 

[neyugn0w01]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9139121#post9139121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RandyO
Hey Lam,
Can you describe the destroyer tentacles?

RandyO,
No problem. When the destroyer tentacles are out, they are web like (no spiderman joke) and can be as long as 3 inches. The tentacles look nothing like what the lords or echinata puts out. Hope that helps.
Lam

 

[All Delight]

Lam. Don't scare me. I have that one that Atlantis sold pretty close to some acans and micros. So far nothing has happened.

 

[WendyMc]

Maybe you're not SO pure

Randy, are you of the opinion that Maximas are not seen in captivity then? I find the Maxima debate very interesting, but since I have nothing of knowledge to offer I'm just hitching along for the ride.

 

[All Delight]

I know Maxima discussions always get crazy.

 

[jasper24]

There is one on frags.org right now. Click "browse" from the main page.

 

[neyugn0w01]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9142411#post9142411 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by All Delight
Lam. Don't scare me. I have that one that Atlantis sold pretty close to some acans and micros. So far nothing has happened.

All I am saying is be careful what you place them next to. If you have some extra lords laying around, you can always test my theory.

 

[WendyMc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9142768#post9142768 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jasper24
There is one on frags.org right now. Click "browse" from the main page.

Thank you I know there are some offered for sale occasionally, but there is debate always whether or not it is actually Maxima or just an unusual polyped something else...This is the debate that fascinates me so for some reason. I guess the only way to know for sure is by skeletal identification or microscopic tissue examination and I for one would not offer my coral up for sacrifice if I had one of these sweet fine thangs in my system.

 

[ReefDoctorMicromussas]

"sweet fine thangs " <------ sooo nerdy

 

[RandyO]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9142552#post9142552 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WendyMc
Maybe you're not SO pure

Randy, are you of the opinion that Maximas are not seen in captivity then? I find the Maxima debate very interesting, but since I have nothing of knowledge to offer I'm just hitching along for the ride.

Hi Wendy,
Most of the people on here know my position on the "Maxima" thing. It's a coral that is found only in Oman waters, which is an area not collected for the aquarium trade.

The colors are a drab green, gray or brown.

And I've never seen one of these in someone's tank. Only pictures in Oman waters.

In my opinion, it's a very plain, un interesting coral. But because no one has one, everyone wants one. So when we see a very large polyped Musside, it's labeled an Acanthastrea maxima. I've seen dozens of people claim they've found it. The holy grail. If we posted all those pictures in the same thread, most of them would probably not be the same genus, never mind species.

The pieces I see people claim as Acanthastrea maxima are far nicer than any True Maxima I've seen from wild pics.

But that's how it goes. Once people get their minds set on an ID, and they spread it around, before long, everyone knows these colorful, large polyped Mussides as A. maxima.

It's a loosing battle, which is why most of the nay sayers stop saying nay.

 

[WendyMc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9142927#post9142927 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by doctor64776
"sweet fine thangs " <------ sooo nerdy

It's a gift!

Randy, thank you for taking the time to post that. I am a very visual learner and I finally have some understanding of where this issue stems from. Are the Oman waters a CITES protected area, or is it local government which prevents collection?

 

[neyugn0w01]

Randy,
Those are definitely some nice maxima. Too bad we do not have any of those around. Like always, you are always on top of things.

 

[RandyO]

Scientific Name Acanthastrea maxima
Common Name "Fleshy Artichoke Coral"
Color Dark brown or green

Distinguishing Characteristics
Like the starry cup coral, heavy septal spines are the dominant characteristic of this species. However, the diameters of its calyces are much larger, up to 5 cm, and polyps may expand to twice this diameter. This species is endemic to Oman, meaning that it has been encountered in only Oman waters, having been described from a specimen first found off Ras al Hamra.

Habitat
Thus far, fleshy artichoke coral is very uncommon and has only been collected from the ridge area lying between Ras al Hamra and Al Fahl Island in the Muscat area, and in the nearshore waters at Sahd, Dhofar. It appears to be favored by relatively low light and high turbidity conditions that are present over sandy bottoms where most other coral species are not abundant




Info from this website.
http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/pbs/Oman-coral-book/Chap3/CorBkCh3htm.htm

 

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9143148#post9143148 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WendyMc
It's a gift!

Randy, thank you for taking the time to post that. I am a very visual learner and I finally have some understanding of where this issue stems from. Are the Oman waters a CITES protected area, or is it local government which prevents collection?

The country of Oman doesn't allow collection. I'm not sure if they are a CITES member nation or not though. CITES really isn't about protecting waters, areas, etc, it's more about protection of wildlife and now fossils.

 

[zeppelin]

I remember seeing a pic Amy Larson posted a couple years ago af an acan lord with messile (sp) webbing stretched out and that had attacked a zoanthid polyp. The zoo polyp was completely engulfed by the webbing, and was a good 1 1/2"-2" away from the acan.

 

[nUgZ]

Yes what he is describing as destroyer tentacles are in fact the mesentary(sp?) filaments. Basically it's digestive system that it send out to eat its competition.

 

[WendyMc]

Zeppelin, are you sure Amy's picture wasn't an echinata? I remember those posts about an echinata, not a lord. I could have them confused, though. She titled it 'Spiderman' if I remember correctly...