Please help with coral identification

[plopezmd]

Hello All,


I would like to know what coral this is. It looks to me like a Tubastraea, but the skeleton arrangement is different.


Thanks in advance!

 

[Sweet Reef Corals]

Hard to tell for sure but it looks like my Galaxeas growth pattern and polyps

 

[Goaway]

I agree with galaxea.

 

[CanuckReefer]

X3 Galaxea....watch for sweepers and keep well clear of other corals.

 

[plopezmd]

Thanks to all for the replies. I had originally thought of Galaxea, but discounted it because the skeleton stem of each polyp is very different. The base of each polyp is separated. Below is a side view of the coral:

Also, the tentacles of the polyps are very short (compared to galaxea), and are more "spade" shaped, instead of longer and thinner projections. If this is a galaxea, is there a particular name for it?

Edit:

p.s. I am trying to understand what is the main feature that identifies this as a galaxea.


Thanks.

 

[Goaway]

The coral maybe recovering. This is a skeleton of a dead galaxea. Not my picture btw.
It looks As your frag had receded a bit.

 

[plopezmd]

The coral maybe recovering. This is a skeleton of a dead galaxea. Not my picture btw.
It looks As your frag had receded a bit.

Thank you for the photo. I do see what you are describing.

 

[Alexopora]

Thanks to all for the replies. I had originally thought of Galaxea, but discounted it because the skeleton stem of each polyp is very different. The base of each polyp is separated. Below is a side view of the coral:

Also, the tentacles of the polyps are very short (compared to galaxea), and are more "spade" shaped, instead of longer and thinner projections. If this is a galaxea, is there a particular name for it?

Edit:

p.s. I am trying to understand what is the main feature that identifies this as a galaxea.


Thanks.

Basically, this is a receding or stressed galaxea. I have a few galaxeas looking like this in the past when I first got them.

An interesting feature to note about galaxeas is by looking at their skeleton when they are retracted, they resemble a tooth and a star. They also mildly resemble Torches.

As your Galaxea recovers and grows it should look like this. Its retracted since the lights have been off about an hour ago. I grew this particular piece from a single polyp, as the original colony died back two years ago. I thought this piece was a goner till I notice a single polyp forming.