Identify This Coral (seems rare)

[SheldonW]

Hey I purchased this coral two weeks ago. It was described as a purple Nepthia but I’m not sure. I’ve never need a softie collector but I have three now that I love. The base under regular light is blueish purple and the polyps are neon yellow. I have included a few pics. The first under regular light kessils with t5 super blue. The last one is using a Polyp lab yellow filter lens. If a very pretty coral in person and seems to thrive directly under the light with good flow. If it helps with the ID the polyps will retract completly when disturbed. If it helps further I live in Canada and this coral was sold through wholesale in Toronto and was shipped out East

 

[blecki]

Nepthia is a specific species but the name gets used for the whole group; this is probably in that group. There's a bunch of names for basically the same coral - Nephthea / Nepthia / other variations, capnella, colt, kenya tree... Good chance they are selling them under the name 'nepthia' because the more common name 'kenya tree' has been associated with the invasive variety. It's like - the opposite of rare. So much so that it made me wonder if this post was a joke, sorry.

Sometimes they get mislabeled as sinularia and vice versa as well; but these are easy to tell apart - just wait a year. If it's shed two or three daughter colonies it's sinularia. If it's covered your entire tank it's nephthea.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Looks kinda like a green kenya, but I'd have to see it in person.

 

[SheldonW]

Nepthia is a specific species but the name gets used for the whole group; this is probably in that group. There's a bunch of names for basically the same coral - Nephthea / Nepthia / other variations, capnella, colt, kenya tree... Good chance they are selling them under the name 'nepthia' because the more common name 'kenya tree' has been associated with the invasive variety. It's like - the opposite of rare. So much so that it made me wonder if this post was a joke, sorry.

Sometimes they get mislabeled as sinularia and vice versa as well; but these are easy to tell apart - just wait a year. If it's shed two or three daughter colonies it's sinularia. If it's covered your entire tank it's nephthea.

Haha, well not a joke exactly. I guess the rare part to me is that in person the flesh is purple but the polyps are neon yellow. It’s hard to get a decent pic with an iPhone. It was supposed to be from Japan. It needs a few more weeks to settle in and hopefully I’ll be better able to identify it. Hopefully me and the store it came from didn’t get taken.

 

[Suesea]

Haha, well not a joke exactly. I guess the rare part to me is that in person the flesh is purple but the polyps are neon yellow. It’s hard to get a decent pic with an iPhone. It was supposed to be from Japan. It needs a few more weeks to settle in and hopefully I’ll be better able to identify it. Hopefully me and the store it came from didn’t get taken.

How is your coral doing? Are you still trying to figure out what it is exactly? It kind of looks like my stereonepthea but then again sinularia. What ever it is I love it.