SPS Question
- Thread starter Billabong
- Start date
smoyer
Member
do a photo search for a ORA hawkins blue echinata and then look at the ORA Cali blue tortosa. You should be able to see a different, but I think echinatas look smoother than torts do.
Best way to learn differences is by looking a picture of frags for sale by frag farmers. You can link from the sponsor page.
Best way to learn differences is by looking a picture of frags for sale by frag farmers. You can link from the sponsor page.
klepto
New member
I disagree with smoyer's advice.
I believe that ORA's "hawkins echinata" is not a true Acropora echinata. If in fact it is, then the morphology it displays in most closed systems doesn't resemble an echinata. Regardless, I don't think it is a good coral to use as a reference.
Going by what some online vendor labels their corals is very unreliable. Other than Live Aquaria, the majority of vendors are responsible for mass mis-identifications. If it looks like a particular species at first glance, hobbyists and vendors are quick to jump to a rash conclusion. If more people were honest, this problem wouldn't be rife throughout the hobby.
In my experience, the most reliable source is Charlie aka John or J.E.N. Veron. He has written an excellent 3 volume reference that has great images (including corallite detail shots which are usually essential to sound Acropora ID's) and descriptions which can also help highlight the differences between species. To the best of my knowledge, Veron is still the leading authority in this field.
Obviously, not every hobbyist wants to pick up the set. It isn't cheap, but it is a good investment if coral identification interests you. The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) used to have Veron's pages easily accessible online. While the site has some issues, the raw information is still available. Simply google search the scientific name of the species in question followed by "AIMS". For example: "Acropora echinata AIMS" or you can go to their site: http://www.aims.gov.au/ and input the species name in their search bar (this will yield the relevant pages).
Sometimes there isn't a page for the species, but clicking on the other results and digging around a little will nearly always work. Just like for the echinata search, after visiting the A. turaki page one sees that echinata is a similar species and following the link will bring you to the echinata page.
With experience, recognizing the subtle differences in corallite structure amongst similar species becomes easier.
I hope this helps. :wave:
Jake
I believe that ORA's "hawkins echinata" is not a true Acropora echinata. If in fact it is, then the morphology it displays in most closed systems doesn't resemble an echinata. Regardless, I don't think it is a good coral to use as a reference.
Going by what some online vendor labels their corals is very unreliable. Other than Live Aquaria, the majority of vendors are responsible for mass mis-identifications. If it looks like a particular species at first glance, hobbyists and vendors are quick to jump to a rash conclusion. If more people were honest, this problem wouldn't be rife throughout the hobby.
In my experience, the most reliable source is Charlie aka John or J.E.N. Veron. He has written an excellent 3 volume reference that has great images (including corallite detail shots which are usually essential to sound Acropora ID's) and descriptions which can also help highlight the differences between species. To the best of my knowledge, Veron is still the leading authority in this field.
Obviously, not every hobbyist wants to pick up the set. It isn't cheap, but it is a good investment if coral identification interests you. The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) used to have Veron's pages easily accessible online. While the site has some issues, the raw information is still available. Simply google search the scientific name of the species in question followed by "AIMS". For example: "Acropora echinata AIMS" or you can go to their site: http://www.aims.gov.au/ and input the species name in their search bar (this will yield the relevant pages).
Sometimes there isn't a page for the species, but clicking on the other results and digging around a little will nearly always work. Just like for the echinata search, after visiting the A. turaki page one sees that echinata is a similar species and following the link will bring you to the echinata page.
With experience, recognizing the subtle differences in corallite structure amongst similar species becomes easier.
I hope this helps. :wave:
Jake
dvanacker
DID I SOUNDS SMRT??
Yes...hawkins in not a true echinata.
Torts and Echinata are very different and easy to tell. A little time on google and you will easily be able to tell the difference.
As for the differences in millepora...well millepora is the species so they are all the same. The only difference is they come in different color.
Torts and Echinata are very different and easy to tell. A little time on google and you will easily be able to tell the difference.
As for the differences in millepora...well millepora is the species so they are all the same. The only difference is they come in different color.
smoyer
Member
Sorry! I was just giving him corals that he could easily find pictures of and so he could start to see the differences for himself. I was just giving him a starting point. I didn't feel he looking for that much detail about differences within a specific variety of echinata verses the wildtypes, but thanks for the lesson. Anytime humans interfere with nature and start to cultivate a species of organisms you have morphes and varies, but it still genetically a echinata. Besides one of his first echinata var. will likely be Hawkins Blue from ORA.
Last edited:
wickedfish
New member
Thanks Klepto, I enjoy a good book.
Especially one that will educate me on what we enjoy.
Especially one that will educate me on what we enjoy.
thanks everyone, that is exactly what I was looking for. As I have seen tiny frags of them and can't decipher the difference between the 2. I realize as they grow, the difference would be more prominent. I will have to look into that AIMS website as well as investing in those books.
klepto, thanks for the explanation, I was actually using the hawkins as one of my examples.
after reading my post again I had a typo at the end of my original post I typed millipora instead of acropora.
klepto, thanks for the explanation, I was actually using the hawkins as one of my examples.
after reading my post again I had a typo at the end of my original post I typed millipora instead of acropora.
dvanacker
DID I SOUNDS SMRT??
Yes nothing to be sorry about. We are all just trying to help.
And once again Hawkins is not an echinata....at all. It has nothing to do with wild or human interferance.....it simply was named the wrong species by ORA. At least that is the concensus between most people (me included).
seminolecpa
Premium Member
Not sure ice fire is really an echinata either. Think it is more likely a speciosa.
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