What Is This Thing??

[GroYurOwn]

this guy was attached to a pretty awesome colony of zoos i got from an LFS, just want to know what i scored for free here! its about the size of a half dollar, definitely an LPS, when it closes up tight it is smooth as a babys bottom, it doesnt like high light, the first time it opened all the way was after the lights were out. thanks all!

 

[zarro]

HI
Not sure what it is but a very nice freebe

 

[gflat65]

Are you sure it isn't a Palythoa sp.? It looks very much like one from that shot.

 

[keckles]

I was thinking the same thing, gflat.

 

[GroYurOwn]

nope it has a skeleton similar to how a brain or something is. this is what it looks like closed

 

[keckles]

Sorry, but I still think it is Zoanthus. I think the rough, dense tissue is slightly deceptive in its similarity in texture to calcarous skeleton.

 

[GroYurOwn]

there is no place on this piece where i can see that there is any kind of skin growing over a rock, as far as i can tell it is not attached to a rock, it is its own entity, if that makes sense

 

[oldreefer76]

groyurown I have to agree with you, I don't think zoanthus or palythoa, not sure what it is though

 

[Amphiprion]

It is a Palythoa sp. The thick, 'skeleton' is merely part of the coenenchyme created by a matrix of stolons.

Here:

 

[Underwaterparadise]

My first thought was Paly's and my last thought was Paly's

 

[mummra100769]

be carefull, it's really slimey and toxic. the common name is golden sea mat or golden polyps. i believe it is the most toxic paly as well.

 

[Al G Blenny]

Those are the real Palys. Most people are calling the Protopalys by the wrong name so others get confused. They are definately the true Palythoa zoanthids.

 

[jaymz101]

touch it. If your hand goes numb, its a paly. (just kidding dont really do that. Their mucus is pretty toxic) But I agree with everyone else. Def a palythoa

 

[GroYurOwn]

ok, i will go with it, it was free, and it is kinda pretty.....i was wondering why my fingers were tingling!

 

[oddballs]

wow real palythoas!!!someone post this in the zo forum !

 

[gflat65]

Yeah, you don't see too many ACTUAL Palythoa, esp in tanks.

 

[oddballs]

.

 

[GroYurOwn]

so this is something special? cool.

 

[Amphiprion]

Really? I see them all the time. I wonder why they are so sparse everywhere else?

 

[Al G Blenny]

They're not. Only in Tulsa and Tn.