coral ID, are both pipe organs?

Nimitz87 · Mar 11, 2019

hello, I picked up what I believe to be a pipe organ coral and my friend recently got one from the R2R WWC live sale. The polyps are vastly different. are both of these a kind of pipe organ coral?

James M · Mar 11, 2019

Top pic is clove polyps - invasive and can take over the rock quickly
You’re right on the bottom pic

Nimitz87 · Mar 11, 2019

James M said:
Top pic is clove polyps - invasive and can take over the rock quickly
You’re right on the bottom pic

very interesting the top one was sold from World Wide Corals as a pipe organ coral.

https://worldwidecorals.com/products/R10-68-683

James M · Mar 11, 2019

I may be wrong then but that looks a lot more like a clove polyp than a pipe organ

reef lover · Mar 11, 2019

Both are pipe organ...if you ever wanna frag the bottom one let me know...dont have that one...

will25u · Mar 11, 2019

Strange. The top is definitely Clove Polyps per my knowledge. That’s all I’ve ever known and seem them sold as. Bottom, I agree is pipe organ.

reef lover · Mar 11, 2019

There is clove that looks similiar. Easy way to tell make them retract if theres red skeleton theyre pipe organs...
Heres a couple different varieties that are similiar .

Opus · Mar 11, 2019

The bottom one looks like what I usually see labeled as purple star polyps

reef lover · Mar 12, 2019

Never even heard of purplr star polyps

Opus · Mar 12, 2019

reef lover · Mar 12, 2019

Everything i read on them points to Pachyclavularia sp. Which would have a rubbery purple mat and not the characteristic red pipe organ base that i can see in the ops pic.

FoxyFace · Mar 12, 2019

Pipe organs have a red, hard skeleton.

Opus · Mar 12, 2019

reef lover said:
Everything i read on them points to Pachyclavularia sp. Which would have a rubbery purple mat and not the characteristic red pipe organ base that i can see in the ops pic.

I guess your eye sight is a lot better than mine. I can't see a red pipe base in the second pic.

If the OP would post pictures with the polyps closed, it would help with the ID.

Nimitz87 · Mar 13, 2019

looks to be some debate still. I'll try and get a picture with lights off closed up of the 2nd one.

Nimitz87 · Mar 13, 2019

doesn't look to have a hard red skeleton 2nd image is some tri clove polyps I have as comparison.

reef lover · Mar 13, 2019

No skeleton. Not pipe organ...although theres ones that look very similair.

And looking at the pic doesnt look like star polyp base either . Is that the sane one as you second pic originally posted?

Nimitz87 · Mar 13, 2019

reef lover said:
No skeleton. Not pipe organ...although theres ones that look very similair.

And looking at the pic doesnt look like star polyp base either . Is that the sane one as you second pic originally posted?

yes, 1st picture in post #15 is the same as 2nd picture in the OP. here is another one with the lights just turning on and 1 polyp open.

reef lover · Mar 13, 2019

Gotta be those

that opus posted above.

Nimitz87 · Mar 13, 2019

my buddy just sent me a picture of his (the 1st one in the OP) closed up. and you can definitely see the red hard skeleton.

Schnizzle · Mar 13, 2019

It appears they got the first and I got the second (that I saw anyway) that was sold in that live sale. Mine looks like your first pic and I can see the red skeleton on mine. All my phone pics (iPhone7) of this specific coral are blurry but here is something anyway. I'll try to get better one's tonight with the fiancee's XR. It's small but you can see the red skeletal base.