Cat Eye Color question

[octoberfest]

I have a large colony of purple cat eyes. When they are together in a large colony the color seems to dull, no matter where on the colony they are (which means its not a light issue). When I frag a piece off of the colony the colors get much more intense. I have a friend who has a large colony and he has been experiencing the same thing.

So basically the color gets better on a frag'small colony versus a large colony....any ideas how this can relate?

 

[drainbamage]

I've noticed a lot of Zoa's showing more intense colors when distressed during a fragging, but that's not seemingly what's going on. What I would speculate is perhaps there's a portion of the colony that's being distressed-stung, battered by excess flow, something, and it's affecting the rest of the colony. When you frag off a piece, those polyps no longer are experiencing the problems and color up. Otherwise are the frags still in the same tank and everything?

 

[octoberfest]

I've noticed a lot of Zoa's showing more intense colors when distressed during a fragging, but that's not seemingly what's going on. What I would speculate is perhaps there's a portion of the colony that's being distressed-stung, battered by excess flow, something, and it's affecting the rest of the colony. When you frag off a piece, those polyps no longer are experiencing the problems and color up. Otherwise are the frags still in the same tank and everything?

Yeah its not during the fragging process because the frag will stay that more intense color from the day they're cut.

I would agree with maybe getting hit with too much flow or different light spectrum or something similar but its the entire colony, which is the size of a volleyball. Its the entire colony that's not as vibrant so if it was a flow issue, getting stung, or light then I would think it would be only certain parts of the colony that are effected.

 

[drainbamage]

Yeah its not during the fragging process because the frag will stay that more intense color from the day they're cut.

I would agree with maybe getting hit with too much flow or different light spectrum or something similar but its the entire colony, which is the size of a volleyball. Its the entire colony that's not as vibrant so if it was a flow issue, getting stung, or light then I would think it would be only certain parts of the colony that are effected.

I've noticed some of the Zoa's affecting much more colonial than others, and in these guys if one part of the colony is affected, all of the colony shows some form of sign of unhappiness

 

[mlove]

To be completely honest I've never heard of this. Are you sure it isn't a perception more so than an actual change in color. With a large colony you see the same colors over and over and become desensitized to them. When it's a small frag the colors stand alone on an pedestal in relation to their surroundings. Just my initial thought after reading this haha. Could be completely wrong.

 

[octoberfest]

Yeah its not perception, its a very big difference. I'll try to get pictures tonight.

 

[Nanofins]

If I had to speculate, I would suggest that what you are seeing is the increased concentration of pigments as the tissue of the frag gets scrunched up due to the irritation of fragging. I have often observed lps and softies appearing unnuaturally bright when they first arrive, but as they acclimate and settle in, even during the first few hours, the colors normalize as the tissue expands and the pigments are no longer so concentration by area. Obviously for a fragged coral it's not going to expand back out as quickly as a coral that is simply opening back up from shipping. Any soft-tissued coral would be subject to this and this would make the most sense. I have several large colonies, including cat-eyes, and I would not say the colors appear dull. Lighting, flow, and nutrients will also play a role in the color of the zoas, and perhaps the colony has grown to a point where it's needs more of one than it is getting. The frag's needs may also be less and therefore it is being satisfied more easily on its own. I would be inclined to suspect the first idea of the tissue scrunching up for a while after fragging. I have a beautiful colony of Sour Apple Zoas with probably in the order of 300+ polyps that has never looked better.