What makes a PE a PE?
- Thread starter dfcjr
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maggiesaqsup
In Memoriam
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7717440#post7717440 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dfcjr
Ahhhhh, I see. Thanks Anthony. Is there an easy way to tell the difference between zoanthid gigantus and palythoas?
That is a good question. What is this new wave of zoa gigantus? Is there some scientific study that I can see that classifies the zoas?
surfnvb7
Premium Member
i dont have a link handy unfortunately, but Jreimer had some good posts that showed pictures of the new classification.
zoanthid gigantus (former name was "protopaly"), can be easily identified by blowing on the polyps on getting them to close up. zoanthid gigantus polyps will have white stripes/striations along the outside edges of the polyp when viewed closed up. I'll see if i can dig up some pics...
people eaters are a special common name classification reffering to specific types of zoanthid gigantus polyps. they can easily be identified by the white striations on the outside of the polyp when closed up, PLUS a very easily viewable green slit mouth. (note, the green slit mouth is VERY different from a green center).
zoanthid gigantus (former name was "protopaly"), can be easily identified by blowing on the polyps on getting them to close up. zoanthid gigantus polyps will have white stripes/striations along the outside edges of the polyp when viewed closed up. I'll see if i can dig up some pics...
people eaters are a special common name classification reffering to specific types of zoanthid gigantus polyps. they can easily be identified by the white striations on the outside of the polyp when closed up, PLUS a very easily viewable green slit mouth. (note, the green slit mouth is VERY different from a green center).
maggiesaqsup
In Memoriam
I have seen people talk about this in the past and still can't understand why the name has changed. so you are telling me to blow on my polyps? well I will try the different method and look at the white stripes/striations along the outside edges. Now that we know how to tell what is and what is not,where is all this info that was found in this study? I would like to see some of the info for my personal knowledge. I have seen alot of polyps with the strips and always refer to them as palys and the ones without them as zoas.
jessiesgrrl
In Memoriam
Cool info, glad I read this.
Laurie
Laurie
surfnvb7
Premium Member
i dont remember what the links were to the articles. it was a couple of months ago. there isnt much to "question" about the integrity of the article. i mean, there is no money in the classification and epidemeology of zoanthids...so since jreimer took the time to do it, and has a PhD in the field, and all he does is collect zoas from the wild, and analyze them in his labs....i'll take his word on the new classification change.
from my understanding, these type of polyps have more in common with regular zoanthids (by comparing DNA and gene phenotypes which previously was not encorporated many many years ago when the last zoanthid classification study was conducted), than they do with palythoas. thus, the classification change from protopaly to zoanthid gigantus.
here are zoanthid gigantus (i.e. red people eaters).
note the white striations once the polyps are closed up. this is the ultimate defining characteristic of a zoanthid gigantus (formerly known as protopalys).
from my understanding, these type of polyps have more in common with regular zoanthids (by comparing DNA and gene phenotypes which previously was not encorporated many many years ago when the last zoanthid classification study was conducted), than they do with palythoas. thus, the classification change from protopaly to zoanthid gigantus.
here are zoanthid gigantus (i.e. red people eaters).
note the white striations once the polyps are closed up. this is the ultimate defining characteristic of a zoanthid gigantus (formerly known as protopalys).
dfcjr
New member
Hey surfnvb7, found the article. I thought I remembered reading something a couple months back, couldnt remember where, thats why I posted. As soon as you said the guys name, I remembered.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=822392
Thanks for the info
Darrell
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=822392
Thanks for the info
Darrell
surfnvb7
Premium Member
yup, heres the abstract....
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/snn/index.php
i beleive the full paper has not been fully published yet. so once he gets back from his trips you could send him a PM and he'll probably send you a message with the file attachment if you want.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/snn/index.php
i beleive the full paper has not been fully published yet. so once he gets back from his trips you could send him a PM and he'll probably send you a message with the file attachment if you want.
maggiesaqsup
In Memoriam
surfnvb7
"i'll take his word on the new classification change."
it is not about that, It is that I just have not seen anything to back this up. I don't want to call something that it is not. I will read some of the links on the post and get back to this.It looks like there is not much info other than the few links posted.
BTW what about the polyps that are white with black lines are they something else?
"i'll take his word on the new classification change."
it is not about that, It is that I just have not seen anything to back this up. I don't want to call something that it is not. I will read some of the links on the post and get back to this.It looks like there is not much info other than the few links posted.
BTW what about the polyps that are white with black lines are they something else?
gflat65
New member
From what I remember, the way to tell Zoanthus from Paly's is that Paly's take sand into their coenenchyme, where Zoanthus don't. What are commonly called button polyps are Paly's (though, they can still be called Protopalys, as the reclassification didn't hit every type of button, only the PE form described above in surf's pics), and if you look at the coenenchyme, you'll see flecks of sand. I still think of Paly's as what they used to be to me, a mat like coral with mouths that open up and have virtually no coenenchyme (stalk). Big polyp size doesn't make it Paly...
ecotoxlady
New member
It was published this year in Zoological Science. I have a copy of the article myself that was very kindly provided by jreimer.
dfcjr
New member
maggiesaqsup
In Memoriam
could you send a copy my way?
Azurel
In Memoriam
I have almost all of J.Reimers PDFs, he sent me before he left on his trips....They are quite the read, if your not into scientific terms and research it might give you ahead ache. I had to read small bits at a time....Very in depth and researched....To me there is no question on the change once you start to get DNA involved and breaking it down to the inth degree like he has there really isn't much to question. All PE type polyps are Zoanthus gigantus, as all of these polyps are in the genus Zoanthus and then they break down into there species like gigantus, palythoa ect...I believe that is how it worked out....Take Purple Deaths for example they are a true palythoa as they take up sand and detritus into their stolen(laymen term) and pedal disk this is what gives them the speckled look when they close.
ecotoxlady
New member
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