Paly or zoa?

[Jayson Ledbetter]

Is this a Paly or a zoa? ID? The first pic shows the size difference in it and my pink center zoa.

 

[johntdaballa]

Paly

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

Paly

Are most Palys bigger than zoa, or is there a way of telling the difference by the looks of them?

 

[BoomCorals]

Contrary to popular belief size is not an accurate way to determine. Does the stalk/stem of the zoa have debris on it? All palys incorporate debris into the skin of their stems. Zoas do not.

 

[prsnlty]

Yes palys tend to be larger but there are some pretty large zoas polyps as well such as fire & ice zoas for example.

 

[BoomCorals]

People eaters are another large zoa, often incorrectly labeled as palys.

 

[prsnlty]

People eaters are another large zoa, often incorrectly labeled as palys.

+1 to debris/sand on palys and not the zoas.... and also my purple death palys are smaller than the average size palys [emoji12]

 

[prsnlty]

See the debris on the underside of the paly's?

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

I don't see anything on the stalk, no dirt or debris. Just look the same as the zoas

 

[prsnlty]

I don't see anything on the stalk, no dirt or debris. Just look the same as the zoas

Then it's likely to be a zoa. All my palys have sand stuck to their stems.

 

[prsnlty]

..... even the ones a foot off the sand bed such as these.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

I'll check the undersides of the heads, but the stems are clean like zoa

 

[I'm a natural blue]

My paly's are significantly larger than my Bam Bam's. No debris though on the stems of either?
ETA: Maybe I have super large zoa's?????

 

[Philip Chin]

paly

 

[I'm a natural blue]

I'll check the undersides of the heads, but the stems are clean like zoa

Were you able to check for debris on the heads?
Out of respect, please note my comment with picture of my zoa's/paly's was a rhetorical question. Not trying to highjack your post!

 

[coezy2]

Way back when I was just a baby reefer, 40 years ago, I was always told palys have square mouths and zoas have round mouths. Don't know how trus it is but that is what I've always gone by.

 

[I'm a natural blue]

Way back when I was just a baby reefer, 40 years ago, I was always told palys have square mouths and zoas have round mouths. Don't know how trus it is but that is what I've always gone by.

That is very interesting!

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

They don't appear to have any debris at all on them

 

[Mark Gray]

Way back when I was just a baby reefer, 40 years ago, I was always told palys have square mouths and zoas have round mouths. Don't know how trus it is but that is what I've always gone by.

Intersting and that means you are almost as old as I am LOL