Can someone id this?

[Bowin]

It's been growing on my zoa rock from the day that I bought it. Bad phone pic. Excuse the sand on it in one pic because my pistol shrimp was working next to it. It's deep red almost like some types of coraline. It's also very thin.

 

[reeffirstaid]

It looks to me like Halymenia or possibly Porphyra leucosticta. Both are colorful species of macroalgae.

 

[Bowin]

It looks to me like Halymenia or possibly Porphyra leucosticta. Both are colorful species of macroalgae.

Cool! thanks a lot. I like it.

 

[Mr tap water]

It looks like cabbage coral to me

 

[Bowin]

I don't know. After googling those two macro algaes I want to say not them. Mine is more rigid and not flexible like those look. I could see where it might look like the cabbage coral but it is very thin. Almost paper thin but rigid like they appear.

 

[Bowin]

Not transparent either

 

[Mr tap water]

when touching it does it react or does it just stay as it is

 

[Bowin]

never touched it but I will tonight when I get home. it keeps the same shape so probably won't react. could it be some type of monti?

 

[chicago]

Tagging.

 

[Bowin]

Any other ideas?

 

[Pete polyp]

I have seen sponges that look identical

 

[Pete polyp]

Purple plating sponge

 

[Bowin]

Purple plating sponge

That might be it. Do any have smooth surfaces? Mine doesn't have the same "bumpy" surface as the one in your pic.

 

[Pete polyp]

I dunno, I downloaded that picture. I saw one last month in a lfs and I thought it was the best looking purple monti cap I have ever seen. I was watching it and it started to move when the flow hit it. I knew it wasn't a monti cap then. They told me what it was, a sponge. I googled purple plating sponge and found that picture. I really hope that's what you have there. Well I would like to have one anyways!

 

[Bowin]

I dunno, I downloaded that picture. I saw one last month in a lfs and I thought it was the best looking purple monti cap I have ever seen. I was watching it and it started to move when the flow hit it. I knew it wasn't a monti cap then. They told me what it was, a sponge. I googled purple plating sponge and found that picture. I really hope that's what you have there. Well I would like to have one anyways!

Okay, mines rigid and doesn't move with flow though. That is a pretty sponge though

 

[Pete polyp]

Oh, so its hard?

 

[Pete polyp]

Lobophora maybe

 

[TJ's Reef]

I would guess it to be a variety of Coraline Algae is all, I had both purple and green that resembled this one before.

Cheers, Todd

 

[Bowin]

Oh, so its hard?

Yes it's hard

 

[Bowin]

I would guess it to be a variety of Coraline Algae is all, I had both purple and green that resembled this one before.

Cheers, Todd

Not coraline because it grows off of the rock. Thanks though