Coral ID?

[lolmatt]

A local reefer has this weird purple encrusting coral, he thinks it came in on some real old tb saltwater rock. Any idea what it might be?

 

[ScottR]

Looks like some sort of favia. No idea what type. That’s pretty big though.

 

[BlueDamselReef]

Favites

 

[lolmatt]

Definitely looks like some sort of favites but I can't find a close enough photo to be sure.

 

[lolmatt]

My guess is coelastrea or goniastrea. Not much info out there on those genus.

 

[ScottR]

My guess is coelastrea or goniastrea. Not much info out there on those genus.

The problem with this would be that it most likely came directly from the ocean because of its size. If it was aquacultured and bought as a frag, there’d be a fancy name for it. So, you’d have to find some expert (not me obviously) who knows how to differentiate between different species of this kind. With that said, I’m sure someone here knows.

 

[lolmatt]

The problem with this would be that it most likely came directly from the ocean because of its size. If it was aquacultured and bought as a frag, there’d be a fancy name for it. So, you’d have to find some expert (not me obviously) who knows how to differentiate between different species of this kind. With that said, I’m sure someone here knows.

No, this has been grown for 10-15+ years. It's owned by Agu on rc (one of their first 30 members oh some 20 years ago).

 

[ScottR]

Wow. So it was bought as a frag basically?

 

[lolmatt]

Wow. So it was bought as a frag basically?

Less even, a hitchhiker lol. From Tampa Bay saltwater rock he thinks.

 

[ScottR]

Less even, a hitchhiker lol. From Tampa Bay saltwater rock he thinks.

Nice. Good luck with the id. Not easy.

 

[ScottR]

@Hemmdog ~ he’s not bad at this. Any idea?

 

[Hemmdog]

@Hemmdog ~ he’s not bad at this. Any idea?

It looks like the wild favites type coral I’ve seen diving off South Carolina on the outer reef. I don’t think they are one we would know in the hobby. I’ve tried to find out what this was last week because someone was trying to see what a skeleton they found was, it’s the same thing. I didn’t have much luck looking on states websites for coral species found off their waters. Maybe there’s a better way.

 

[reef lover]

Goniastrea retiformis.