Anyone know what species ARC Fireworks is?

[TDEcoral]

Merlin's staff looks to be the same species as well. Anyone know?

 

[flockaveli]

Acropora Donei?

 

[C. Eymann]

I'm guessing its could be A. kimbeensis as it sometimes grows in compact form like this, some of the colonies I have seen pictures of also share some latistella and clathrata traits. A. donei does share some characteristics too.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Donei is what I always thought it was.

 

[C. Eymann]

I have never seen one in person but this is what you are talking about right?

 

[TDEcoral]

I'm guessing its could be A. kimbeensis as it sometimes grows in compact form like this, some of the colonies I have seen pictures of also share some latistella and clathrata traits. A. donei does share some characteristics too.

I have never seen one in person but this is what you are talking about right?

Yes I believe that's the one I'm talking about. I've been leaning towards A. kimbeensis as well, but not totally certain. I think this is a colony pic of it when it first came in.

 

[C. Eymann]

Yes I believe that's the one I'm talking about. I've been leaning towards A. kimbeensis as well, but not totally certain. I think this is a colony pic of it when it first came in.

^^ That growth form screams clathrata or latistella at me initially, but looking at the radial corallites towards the growth tips, I start to see that tapering tubular pocketed/immersed radial corallite structure that makes me want to say kimbeensis.

From frags and smaller colonies grown in aquariums/lower flow it starts branching out thinner and makes it easier to see the similarities to kimbeensis. I cant say I'm certain it is kimbeensis, all I can really say is it's my suspicion that it is.

 

[flockaveli]

A. Donei structure

 

[flockaveli]

To my knowledge A. Kimbeensis has finer branches, and fuzzier PE. Where A. Donei and the firework type acros never really get crazy fuzzy polyps. Could be wrong though..

 

[C. Eymann]

To my knowledge A. Kimbeensis has finer branches, and fuzzier PE. Where A. Donei and the firework type acros never really get crazy fuzzy polyps. Could be wrong though..

Kimbeensis is like valida in that it has a very wide range of growth forms. Kimbeensis does commonly grow on a corymbose bottlebrush fashion, but in certain conditions and locals it will grow as a thick branching tangled stag and tables.
You almost wouldn't think they are the same species.

I could be wrong and it could be A. donei? but to my eyes it looks like a thick compact form of kimbeensis.

Again though, hobbyist level acropora ID should always be considered FAR from conclusive.

 

[TDEcoral]

I'm not familiar with A. donei so I can't really say much other than I do see the similarities there.

Here are some more pics of ARC fireworks or lookalikes:

These are identified as A. kimbeensis on divers den:

 

[C. Eymann]

To my knowledge A. Kimbeensis has finer branches, and fuzzier PE. Where A. Donei and the firework type acros never really get crazy fuzzy polyps. Could be wrong though..

I'm not familiar with A. donei so I can't really say much other than I do see the similarities there.

Here are some more pics of ARC fireworks or lookalikes:





These are identified as A. kimbeensis on divers den:

^^^^this is the fine branching corymbose form that is most commonly seen with kimbeensis in the hobby, so I get what @flockaveli was getting at/ having doubts on it being kimbeensis.

Prime example of why acro ID is so tough, growth form can vary so much it can really be anyones guess in some cases.

 

[TDEcoral]

Yeah I agree it's difficult and there are no certainties. Guess I'll never know for sure unless a biologist compares their skeletal structure under a microscope lol. Thank you for giving it a try though.

 

[C. Eymann]

Yeah I agree it's difficult and there are no certainties. Guess I'll never know for sure unless a biologist compares their skeletal structure under a microscope lol. Thank you for giving it a try though.

When it comes to coral ID, esp Acropora. Dr. John "Charlie" Veron is pretty much the master, he is responsible for the majority of current coral taxonomy/classification with the australian institute of marine sciences.


So unless ^^^ he says for sure what it is, its always going to be "up in the air"

Im pretty confident its kimbeensis, but again, for me to say that I'm 100% sure- would be foolish as I dont have any letters in front of my name.
I'm just an arco-holic hobbyist.

 

[Dlealrious]

Interesting discussion, here in oz we get a. Donei which could be these, coral aims doesn't show a. Kimbeensis in our waters. What do you think these are?

 

[C. Eymann]

Interesting discussion, here in oz we get a. Donei which could be these, coral aims doesn't show a. Kimbeensis in our waters. What do you think these are?

That top one has some really crazy radial corallite development, I must admit I am second guessing myself a little bit, but the radials on the corals you posted and AIMS ones I have seen look much more exert/flared than ARC plasma/merlin staff pics that I have been looking at. However,
I did spot that same weird radial corallite oddity that the first coral you posted had on the last pic that I pointed at on a few branches.

 

[Dlealrious]

Haha join the rest of us here who have been trying to identify this coral. Either way it's a nice coral, hope my pale one colours up eventually. Has the red poly pigment under blue light but beige with normal light. I think once these wild one grow in our tanks they will change depending on light and flow. That first one gets way too much light from what others keep it at

 

[C. Eymann]

Haha join the rest of us here who have been trying to identify this coral. Either way it's a nice coral, hope my pale one colours up eventually. Has the red poly pigment under blue light but beige with normal light. I think once these wild one grow in our tanks they will change depending on light and flow. That first one gets way too much light from what others keep it at

Well I know Steve has referred to Veron for coral ID before as in the case with Purple Monster.
Maybe he did with Merlin staff as well? it is listed on reeffarmers website as A. donei. so maybe I'll ask him if Veron confirmed?
I helped him ID some microalgae on FB a few years ago, so he owes me.

 

[C. Eymann]

Whelp, anyone know Eric at route 66? lol

 

[TDEcoral]

Interesting. The mystery deepens lol. The corals that Dlealrious shared have a lot of similarities with Fireworks et al. I have a frag of whatever this mystery acro is which is what set me on this path. Would be great if we could somehow get Veron included in this convo!