Diaseris plate fragging itself

typicaltony · Jan 16, 2014

I have had this guy for awhile now, maybe less than a year but noticed over the weekend that it started to split and this is where it is today. It is a very cool plate that can frag itself in order to multiply. I got this guy from WWC in FL, a friend visited the shop and brought it back for me. I also have another similar plate that is orange with gold outline, it is older than the purple/green one but hasn't frag itself yet. These guys are slow grower for me but then again everything grows pretty slow in my tank. They are not as common around here and I have never seen one frag itself until today, Ive only read about them once or twice online, which I thought is pretty cool. Well just wanted to show it off to you guys, enjoy.

Russellaqua · Jan 16, 2014

Very nice! Definitely not something you hear a lot about.

typicaltony · Jan 17, 2014

here is a pic of it from april of last year, think its about around when i first got it.

tyler1503 · Jan 17, 2014

Looks like an odd shape when you first got it. I'm thinking maybe it was recently fragged when you got it. Did it ever have more than one mouth?
I've heard of them (well, plates in general) growing a 2nd mouth when stressed (due to the possible fragging?) and eventually the 2nd mouth will part from the original skeleton and grow it's own skeleton. I read that somewhere today. I'll try to get a link for reference

tyler1503 · Jan 17, 2014

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/fotm/
Hopefully that link works :S

Tab28 · Jan 17, 2014

Diaseris can frag. It usually is like a perforated seam in the skeleton. I have 2 and one is purple with green rim will get holes in it and they just seem to heal. These may be how it creates its perforations. My holes are generally smaller though but still holes. When sand gets on its flesh and i or it does not get off this area always seems to get a hole. Still heals itself. I also have a teal and orange one. Its colors arranged in a bleeding apple layout. It does the same thing.

typicaltony · Jan 17, 2014

Yeah these guys aren't like fungias when it comes to multiplying and what not, fungias are colonial i believe. These guys like tab28 said, has a perforated seam in the skeleton and as they get bigger those seams will grow apart and eventually they will frag itself and split apart.

I just checked this morning and the smaller piece has finally detached itself from the bigger and is now a separate coral on its own.