explain grafting/hybrid corals?

[MoshJosh]

I have seen grafted Monti and hybrid hydnophora. . . Grafted is 2 glued together that continue growing but are technically 2 separate animals? Hybrid is same animal genetic traits of both donors?

What corals can be hybridized?

 

[Timfish]

Keep in mind "hybrid" corals available to aquarists are not genetic hybrids created by crossing two distinct species. One example of genetic hybrid being the "fused" staghorn coral which is a natural occuring cross of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata.

"Hybrid" corals available to aquarists may be two different species, as you already noted, or two different genotypes or varieties of the same species that have different coloration. If they are two different species they need to be close enough in relationship they don't try to kill each other.

 

[bushdoc]

What is called here hybrid is really a "Chimera"- organism composed of two or more genetically different cells.
Coral chimeras exists not only in aquarium trade, usually made here by grafting, but were discovered in nature, where they were "created" most probably by fusion of new colonies from different species, which settled close together after coral spawning.
Do not confuse with a species of fish called Chimera.