Acan Maxima Question

[NaClCrocodile]

What's with these acan maximas? I've seen a few and they look cool but what's the deal? I've never seen one with multiple heads, they just look like flattened scolys to me. Can someone tell me wha the differences are?
Thanks!
Cayman

 

[ReeferRob]

I picked up number 5 today, and plan on going back for many more. These little guys pack a ton of color and punch into such a small package. I wouldn't say they are flat scollys, they get just as fluffy and fat just a lot smaller.

 

[NaClCrocodile]

Very cool. They look like they could totally catch on. Do they split in captivity or are they like mini-scolys?

 

[Maximus]

How large are they? 2"?

 

[ReeferRob]

Ya, there like a size of a half dollar coin or larger.

 

[Azurel]

There are no Acan Maximas in the U.S trade.....They are on CITESII list and the 3 countries that they are endemic to have signed on the the CITES agreement.....If they are infact Acan Maxima they are illegally collected.....

You don't believe me look it up and look at the distribution map from AIMs.....Tell me who collects corals in these waters where in most it is illegal any way especially in the sea of Oman....
http://data.aims.gov.au/coralpages/html/901-1000/Species pages/911.htm

 

[Maximus]

I agree AZ. Anyone know what these are?

 

[Azurel]

I would bet they are immature Scolymia sp. or some type of Lobo possibly as well as a single polyp of an acan but I can assure you they are not Maxima.....Most governments that they are endemic to have such harsh restrictions on anything that takes place in the waters surrounding thier country that even illegally collected specimens would probably go to the Japanese market long before they would here. Not to mention the risk of capture in collecting in these waters would push the price up so high that no one here in the U.S would be willing to pay....

 

[NaClCrocodile]

Ahhh, good information Az. I'm glad I asked. I wonder what these actually are then. They seem to be relatively new on the market (I haven't seen them until recently at least). They've always looked like small scolys to me but I never thought to question it. Now I have a reason to be skeptical.

 

[Maximus]

If they are small scoly's, that would be great. I just ordered a few of these so we shall see. Does anyone know if they all come on their individual piece of live rock?

 

[Azurel]

If they are small scully's, that would be great. I just ordered a few of these so we shall see. Does anyone know if they all come on their individual piece of live rock?

Not sure to be honest can only go by what I see from the pics of vendors on line and most are single polyps.....I have thought about ordering just to see what they turn out to be....Once you get them post them and keep us updated.....I know it is a controversial subject matter for some especially vendors as they are the ones that have pushed the Maxima tag on these corals.....I am by no means an expert on the subject but when I hear illegal collection I like to do my research so I know what to be aware of.....I don't need the feds knocking on my door for any reason.....Not tha they would, but why take the risk, also I like to find out the truth of the matter especially in this hobby with rumor, suspicion and lies that seem to frequent the industry as a whole.

 

[ReeferRob]

Okay, so mine has been in the tank for....6 hours give or take. I would say that it is a spitting image of my scollys in texture and shape. Very different colors and I haven't seen the sweeppers yet? But that's what Im going to do now.....FEED! And yes each one that I saw comes on its own rock, just like a scoly.

 

[Maximus]

Okay, so mine has been in the tank for....6 hours give or take. I would say that it is a spitting image of my scollys in texture and shape. Very different colors and I haven't seen the sweeppers yet? But that's what Im going to do now.....FEED! And yes each one that I saw comes on its own rock, just like a scoly.

Do you have a pic? How large is yours?

 

[Maximus]

Does anyone know where these come from? Australia or the Indo-Pacific?

 

[ReeferRob]

Do you have a pic? How large is yours?

See my post above with link. Think is amazing. I was kicking my self in the street for not taking two....or three.....or hang on...

 

[condor]

ok here is a supposed maxima. now i cant get the angle but there is a skeleton of a dead polyp on the backside. in my corals of the world book(3 volume set)by JEN Vernon he shows the structure of the skeleton and it is exactly the same. and im pretty good at id's
with years of experiance. also the feeders are unlike a scoly and it opens twice as fleshy
IDK maybe azurel is right and i just got lucky with mine
i am 99% sure what i have is a maxima by skeletal ID

these pics are from after the daylight were out for an hour, so it has deflated quite a bit

 

[condor]

Does anyone know where these come from? Australia or the Indo-Pacific?

sea of oman

 

[Maximus]

See my post above with link. Think is amazing. I was kicking my self in the street for not taking two....or three.....or hang on...

Did you pick these up from Cherry Corals personally? If you did, how did the others look? I bought the blue one and a couple of the pinkish ones on his site.

 

[Azurel]

You could very well have one and it would have been illgaly collected there is no question on that fact....I am sure the Sultan of Oman want's a conferance with you....LOL

I'm sure you are not breaking any laws or any leagal trouble having it if in fact it is a Maxima since it is already been through the system......I wouldn post any more pics of it though just in case.....From what I have read and what is out there about them they are about 90%-100% grey, brown, green I have found nothing that says they come in any other colors but it is possable I guess..... They tend to be these colors because they are deep water corals and according to AIMs they are rare in the wild so there can't be as many as what is being sold posted about.....If they are as rare as to be described $200+/- price tag is a big teller of legitamate I.D on these....

Acanthastrea maxima

 

[condor]

it did have a large $ attached to it but i got it through trade. and in all reality it could be a strange morph and not a maxima,
my wholesaler had small scolys he was calling maximas but i could tell they were not