Weirdest Zoa!

[Pufferpunk]

I needed an ID for this strange coral:

Finally got a response from my friend, Anthony Calfo:
"A very neat zoantharian calles Isaurus... feeding tentacles come out at night... needs to be target fed (at night) on zooplankton substituties (like mysids). One of my fav polyps. "

 

[jason9jay]

Those are very hard to find!!!

 

[Pufferpunk]

There's 2 more of them at my LFS.

 

[edwing206]

if you don't mind my askig how much did you get it for?

 

[Pufferpunk]

$24, but there was a huge sale at the shop that night. I think they're asking $40 for them.

 

[SitBackAndWatch]

my shop always has them... they have a huge colony in their display. they are more of an orange though

 

[Pufferpunk]

Mine has blue specks on it.

 

[chelskisw6]

wierd. what does it look like when opened?

 

[trottman]

those are snake coral. i think that they are very common

 

[Pufferpunk]

In all my years ( also my LFS) I've never seeen one before. It looks like an alien at night, when the ends open up with like a flower on the end. More zoa-like then. I'll try to take a pic, but I need lighting for the focus & then they close up.

 

[coralfarm123]

Agree, common names are Snake polyps or Medussa Polyps. These are not really rare, but can be hard to find at the LFS. You just don't see them much since most retail stores don't order them because they don't appeal to the masses especially under the poor lighting setups most LFS have. Most places can probably special order them for the same price they get their other corals.


chelskisw6,
They look like protopalythoa button polyps stretching for light when they are open at night.

 

[mascencerro]

I got a nice rock w/ GSP from my LFS that had a single lone snake polyp I guess you could say hitchhiking because I never noticed it there until I got home. I figured it wouldn't last, but so far it appears to be sprouting a new baby next to it.

It is strange though, closed during the day, and open up like a flower at night, but needs good lighting... go figure.

My polyp isn't near as big as those appear though. More like these:
http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=2157&N=0

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yup, looks like an alien!

 

[Psychographic]

Looks like something pooped on a rock to me.:lol:

 

[pink_floyd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8642293#post8642293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Psychographic
Looks like something pooped on a rock to me.:lol:

that was a little extreme but i guess you have a more creative mind than me.. :eek2:

 

[DrBDC]

I have a rock with about 5 of them on it. I don't target feed them but I've also had the same 5 for about 1 1/2 years.

 

[herostar]

A LFS in my area has had a couple colonies of these for a long time. I think they've been there for about 4 months now. I don't remember how much they wanted for them but I think it was about $20-25. Looks like a neat coral.

 

[Pazazz]

THOSE LOOK LIKE TURDS... LOL

 

[Ti]

funkay