Soft Coral Identification (Image Intense!)

[BlennyBabe]

Though you guys would want to help. I think I know what most of these are, but Im not that good with soft corals so I would like your opinions.

#1

#2

 

[BlennyBabe]

#3

#4

 

[BlennyBabe]

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

 

[BMcCoy]

#9 looks like button polyps, but I may be wrong.

Ben

 

[Fat Surgeon]

#1- Alcyonium spp., (temperate softie aka. Dead Man's fingers)
#2- Sinularia, (Finger Leather)
#3- Kenya tree, unsure of exact type based on photo
#4- Sarcophyton spp.,( Mushroom Coral)
#5- Stumped
#6- Possibly GSP, need to see polyp extension to be sure
#7- Unsure
#8- Euphyllia Glabrescens (Torch Coral) or Heliofungia spp. (Long tentacled plate)
#9- Brown button polyps

 

[graveyardworm]

#1 Alcyonium
#2 Sinularia
#3 Sinularia, or possibly but unlikely Nepthea ( how long have you had it?) I dont think Capnella a.k.a. kenya tree because the growth form of capnella is generally much more compact.
#4 Sarcophyton
#5 Looks like a fragment of some sort of leather coral
#6 Lobophytum sp.
#7 Quite possibly Lobophytum sp. as well
#8 Corallimorph possibly Rhodactis sp.
#9 Palythoa a.k.a. brown button polyps

 

[BlennyBabe]

Are you sure of the lobophytum? I was thinking sinularia based on the photos shown here at the bottom right of the page.
http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/softcorals-seafans/soft-corals09-078081.html
Thats what these guys look like. They (6+7) both have the visible spicules

 

[BlennyBabe]

I was thinking Sinularia dura or maybe Lobophytum crassum for 6 and 7

 

[graveyardworm]

Soft corals in the family Alcyoniidae an most corals for that matter have such variable growth forms that an id even to genus level can be very difficult and some impossible based on pictures alone. What you have a bunch of best guesses. For most I wouldnt even attempt an id to species level as that can be extremely difficult even for experts.

 

[Fat Surgeon]

I stand corrected on #3, #6 and #8 and Gravey, your right about #3. That is a tough one to ID. I thought perhaps #8 may have been a Torch (even though extensions look smaller, only because of the color of arms and tips.)

 

[bboy aqua]

wow lot of corals
I would think your showing them off instead of getting them ID
nice corals btw

 

[graveyardworm]

Now that we've done this can you post full tank shot?

 

[sdm]

#5: Pom-pom Xenia?

 

[graveyardworm]

This is pom-pom xenia

 

[djc1026]

I suppose that #5 is some sort of Sarcophyton sp. (leather) and #6 and #7 I would bet good money is some sort of Sinularia dura (cabbage leather).

Dave

 

[sdm]

graveyardworm- I thought that was clove polyps?

 

[djc1026]

That's pom-pom, clove polyps retract to and from tubes, think of giant GSP of a different color (and the tubes I don't think are made the same)

Dave

 

[BlennyBabe]

#5 is a very close up. I think its a toadstool.

Ill work on some full tank shots. these are from four or five different tanks though.

 

[Sk8r]

I'm intrigued by #6. We couldn't get an id on it back in 1985...we looked in every book we had. If it turns out to have no polyps, and takes over the tank, that's it!