Mystery Coral ID please

[CPT Noobz]

I purchased this as "live rock" at my lfs; it looked like just another skeleton. Plopped it in the reef tank and magic happened. But what is it???

 

[terraincognita]

Looks like some type of Cyphastrea. Hard to say which designer or brand name Cyphastrea, hard to tell with such little flesh left. Looks like there's still a good amount of polyps though even if most are bleached/ing.

Looks like your LFS might've popped it in the LR tank as it was dying in their main tanks and they were done trying to save it. Most likely because it looked more messy on the shelf and makes them "look like they didn't know how to keep corals."

Might've been more decay since being in the LR tank with no light.

Or maybe it just fell in there one day and no one noticed so it just slowly died?

Not sure what was killing it. But GL getting it to come back !!!

 

[One Reefing Boi]

very hard to tell but could be a galxea?Depends how far the polyps extend

 

[ReefKing101]

Kind of looks like my goniepora

 

[BighohoReef]

My vote goes to cyphastrea! Do the polyps go in all the way? It could also be a flower pot goni.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I purchased this as "live rock" at my lfs; it looked like just another skeleton. Plopped it in the reef tank and magic happened. But what is it???

Galaxea, related to torch corals, they sting very hard and can be dangerous to other corals. Very pretty coral when happy, they grow long green tentacles that can get up to 2" long. They like medium to high flow & light (exactly like a torch coral).

 

[Pistondog]

I purchased this as "live rock" at my lfs; it looked like just another skeleton. Plopped it in the reef tank and magic happened. But what is it???

Sweet surprise

 

[Everything Aquatics]

Galaxia

 

[fishguy242]

+1 galaxy

 

[vetteguy53081]

Either galaxia or goniopora

 

[BighohoReef]

I can't wait for this thing to make a comeback the suspense is killing me!!!

 

[terraincognita]

Now that I think about it when Cyphastrea die they actually don't leave behind any type of polyp like that, they bleach like an SPS and it's just a boxy or plate like skeleton with pockets.

So yeah it's definitely a Galaxea, or short stem goni, but what's the difference

 

[ScottR]

100% galaxea but on its way out it seems.

 

[fishguy242]

100% galaxea but on its way out it seems.

it's a galaxy...never say never