Coral ID Help

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

Hello there,

I picked up the candycane coral this guy is living on about a year ago. What I initially thought was aiptasia has not only proven itself to be incredibly resilient, but also has a stony skeleton. Can anyone help me identify what this cute coral actually is?

Thank you!

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

Not the best pictures, I know, but the coral is at a bit of a weird angle. Next time I rearrange things in my tank I can try for a better shot if that helps.

MoshJosh · Apr 2, 2023

My first guess would be majano anemone.

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

MoshJosh said:
My first guess would be majano anemone.

I had wondered that too, but nope, this guy has a 6-radial symmetry skeleton hidden under all those tentacle. Found that out the hard way trying to scrub him off. Tenacious little guy came back from my near-murder with a toothbrush

dedragon · Apr 2, 2023

majano would be my first though as well. Are you sure it has a skeleton and isnt just attached to a dead coral skeleton?

MoshJosh · Apr 2, 2023

dedragon said:
majano would be my first though as well. Are you sure it has a skeleton and isnt just attached to a dead coral skeleton?

Does look to be sitting on an LPS skeleton, looks like the stalk of a candy cane or similar branching LPS.

If not a majano, is it a new head of whatever skeleton its on? (though in the picture it looks like that coral is not the same color or structure so I am doubtful)

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

Definitely has a skeleton of its own, 100% sure on this. It is growing off of the base skeleton of a candycane coral, and I am fairly certain it's not a candycane based on the myriad tentacles it has. I've wondered if my duncan coral somehow had a spawning event, resulting in a baby duncan settling, but that seems so incredibly unlikely.

MoshJosh · Apr 2, 2023

This the rounded tips with purple dots I don't think duncan, at least no like any duncans I have seen

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

Could it somehow be a baby fungia? That's the only thing I can think of, but it seems so out of place

Cell · Apr 2, 2023

Possibly galaxea

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

Cell said:
Possibly galaxea

Oh dang, had not considered that. Doesn't galaxea have sweeper tentacles a mile long?

MoshJosh · Apr 2, 2023

Cell said:
Possibly galaxea

maybe, but I would guess not, at least it doesn't look like any of the baby/new polyps my galaxea have made. In my experience the new galaxea polyps have been more tentacle, less oral disk. That and the purple dot at the end is something I have not seen in my pursuit of galaxea color morphs.

LegalReefer · Apr 2, 2023

Okay, I could very well be crazy, but could it be a baby Elegance coral? Some of the images in this article about a recent captive breeding breakthrough caught my attention. This thing has been on my candycane frag since I first got it, and I have no idea if that frag was aquacultured, maricultured, wild-caught, or what, so maybe it's a possibility?

Article for reference: https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2022/09/08/captive-bred-elegance-coral-breakthrough/