What is the best LPS VOTE #17!

[encrustingacro]

There is a Plerogyra species, P. discus, that is very similar to Nemenzophyllia turbida. The differences between the the two species lie within "corallite" (not sure correct term for "wall") and mantle size (smaller in N. turbida), and exert septa in P. discus. Based on polyp morphology, the two species should probably be placed in the same genus, although molecular studies on this family have failed to turn up any specimens for P. discus.

In addition to the three Blastomussa species imported in the trade (B. merletti, B. wellsi, B. vivida), there are two other species (B. omanensis & B. loyae), found in the Indian Ocean. Both are subplocoid to cerioid, and B. omanensis is found in the Central Indian Ocean, while B. loyae is found in the Red Sea. From what I can see, B. loyae is similar to B. merletti and B. omanensis is similar to B. wellsi.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

There is a Plerogyra species, P. discus, that is very similar to Nemenzophyllia turbida. The differences between the the two species lie within "corallite" (not sure correct term for "wall") and mantle size (smaller in N. turbida), and exert septa in P. discus. Based on polyp morphology, the two species should probably be placed in the same genus, although molecular studies on this family have failed to turn up any specimens for P. discus.

In addition to the three Blastomussa species imported in the trade (B. merletti, B. wellsi, B. vivida), there are two other species (B. omanensis & B. loyae), found in the Indian Ocean. Both are subplocoid to cerioid, and B. omanensis is found in the Central Indian Ocean, while B. loyae is found in the Red Sea. From what I can see, B. loyae is similar to B. merletti and B. omanensis is similar to B. wellsi.

Ok, thanks for that! Tell me if I'm missing anything on the last votes

"Candy cane" don't know species name
"Trumpet coral" also looking for species

Walking dendros
Sun coral (tubastrea)

Hydrophora
Cataphyllia

Fungia
"Fragile" fungia (not under fungia)

Wilsoni
Indophyllia

Goniastrea
Acan enchinata

What am I missing?


Also, does my nemenzophyllia look like a nemenzophyllia or a "Pleogyra"


Edit: forgot tubipora and astreopora

 

[encrustingacro]

Wow, what a small world, I'm 14, been in the reefkeeping hobby since 7th grade middle school, been in freshwater much longer. Right now is my freshman year, 120 gallon has been up for 8-9 months, I thought I was the only teenager on the form lol

What setup do you have?

My original tank was a Red Sea Max Nano with a self-built plywood stand, although I never really had success in that tank until before I replaced it due to flow and related algae issues. My current tank is an Innovative Marine Nuvo 40, with equipment, rock, and livestock transferred over from my Max Nano. So far, my tank is running semi-smoothly, although there is a patch of some sort of red "turfy" algae that I should probably check out. For my lighting, I have an AI prime, for flow, I have 2 Sicce powerheads. For filtration, I use the Tunze 9001 as my skimmer, and have a CRAP TON of MarinePure crystals in the AIO chambers.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Ok, thanks for that! Tell me if I'm missing anything on the last votes

"Candy cane" don't know species name
"Trumpet coral" also looking for species

Walking dendros
Sun coral (tubastrea)

Hydrophora
Cataphyllia

Fungia
"Fragile" fungia (not under fungia)

Wilsoni
Indophyllia

Goniastrea
Acan enchinata

What am I missing?


Also, does my nemenzophyllia look like a nemenzophyllia or a "Pleogyra"


Edit: forgot tubipora and astreopora

"Candy Cane" and "Trumpet Coral" are the same species, Caulastrea furcata, just different morphs. Diasaris is the 'fragile fungia' you're thinking of.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Nice to see other young reefers here I'm a senior myself.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

My original tank was a Red Sea Max Nano with a self-built plywood stand, although I never really had success in that tank until before I replaced it due to flow and related algae issues. My current tank is an Innovative Marine Nuvo 40, with equipment, rock, and livestock transferred over from my Max Nano. So far, my tank is running semi-smoothly, although there is a patch of some sort of red "turfy" algae that I should probably check out. For my lighting, I have an AI prime, for flow, I have 2 Sicce powerheads. For filtration, I use the Tunze 9001 as my skimmer, and have a CRAP TON of MarinePure crystals in the AIO chambers.

I wish my first marine setup went that smoothly lol, fluval evo kit was my first, was 12 with basically no knowledge to begin with, didn't know you needed to top off the tank, didn't test as I ddnt know that was necessary (it's painful for me to remember too) tank crashed after 6 months, surprisingly was only due to a power outage, spent a year learning from local hobbyists and my LFS, had family help build the stand and plumb it, built the canopy myself, got a standard 4 ft 120, cycled it for 6 months, added coral, almost killed leprastrea, learned alot since then, went on vacation, leprastrea recovered, spent life savings on coral lol. And here i am. Also, no fish yet (unfortunately)

At least your journey went smoothly. Main thing I learned. Corals hate phosphates and don't trust wild lobos!


Also, just took this photo. Need to share this!

Zero phosphate seems to satisfy the coral. Photo taken right after feeding

 

[encrustingacro]

Ok, thanks for that! Tell me if I'm missing anything on the last votes

"Candy cane" don't know species name
"Trumpet coral" also looking for species

Walking dendros
Sun coral (tubastrea)

Hydrophora
Cataphyllia

Fungia
"Fragile" fungia (not under fungia)

Wilsoni
Indophyllia

Goniastrea
Acan enchinata

What am I missing?


Also, does my nemenzophyllia look like a nemenzophyllia or a "Pleogyra"


Edit: forgot tubipora and astreopora

Candy cane and trumpet corals used to be classified in the same genus, Caulastraea, although the genus was split into Caulastraea and Astraeosmilia in 2020. I would argue Caulastrea are candy canes and Astraeosmilia are trumpets. Caulastraea furcata (purple stripey morph) and cf Astraeosmilia curvata (neon green/teal morph) are the only commonly imported species from this group.

I don't believe I have ever seen a true Fungia in the hobby; almost all imported specimens are Cycloseris. For "Fragile Fungia," I would believe you are talking about Cycloseris fragilis (formerly Diaseris).

What we call "Indophyllia" are really just Cynarina macassarensis, although the validity of said species is debatable. Many taxonomists consider it a synonym of C. lacrymalis, but it has never been formally synonymized, as molecular studies have failed to turn up any specimens for genetic analysis. That is also to say that we don't even know if what we call "Indophyllia" in the hobby are C. macassarensis or are just a weird morph of C. lacrymalis; we would need to look at the skeleton of these corals, but not many people are willing to kill such an expensive coral.

True Goniastrea are pretty rare in the hobby; most specimens are either Coelastrea or Dipsastraea rosaria/Favites (para)flexuosa.

The 5 Acanthastrea species commonly lumped together as "echinata" by the hobby (echinata, subechinata, hemprichii, brevis, rotundoflora) are poorly delimited from each other and probably require further morpho-molecular study. In short, your echinata may or may not actually be an echinata.

I would not be able to tell whether your fox coral is a Plerogyra discus or Nemenzophyllia without looking at its skeleton or taking measurements of its mantle. Honestly, I'm not very familiar with the plerogyrids (family Plerogyridae).

 

[encrustingacro]

Oh, and I forgot about Tubipora and Astreopora, too.
Although Tubipora have a stony skeleton, they are soft corals, as they are in the class Octocorallia (order Malacalcyonacea). As for Astreopora, I would consider them more of an SPS than an LPS, as they are acroporids.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Oh, and I forgot about Tubipora and Astreopora, too.
Although Tubipora have a stony skeleton, they are soft corals, as they are in the class Octocorallia (order Malacalcyonacea). As for Astreopora, I would consider them more of an SPS than an LPS, as they are acroporids.

Soo, a soft coral with a stony skeleton. An LPS...

Though interesting fact with the tubipora, didn't know they were soft corals, I knew they were related to clove polyps, though I was unaware that they are classified as soft coral, though sinularia do have quite a skeleton beneath their tissue so it makes sense.

Is that all the LPS than? Also, coelastrea will just be under goniastrea as I'm lazy and not doing another vote. Also thinking of doing dendrophyllia vs walking dendro or walking dendro vs tubastrea (which I will include dendro but mainly Sun coral)

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Nice to see other young reefers here I'm a senior myself.

Thank you!

 

[encrustingacro]

Soo, a soft coral with a stony skeleton. An LPS...

Though interesting fact with the tubipora, didn't know they were soft corals, I knew they were related to clove polyps, though I was unaware that they are classified as soft coral, though sinularia do have quite a skeleton beneath their tissue so it makes sense.

Is that all the LPS than? Also, coelastrea will just be under goniastrea as I'm lazy and not doing another vote. Also thinking of doing dendrophyllia vs walking dendro or walking dendro vs tubastrea (which I will include dendro but mainly Sun coral)

Sinularia do not exactly have a skeleton, but their sclerites can fuse and form a type of rock called "spiculite."
I mean yes, there are other LPS, but most of them are infrequently or never exported due to either drab coloration, rarity, or collection laws. Corals that fall under the former include Coeloseris, Pseudosiderastrea, true Goniastrea, and Paramontastraea (salebrosa), Physophyllia, true Fungia, Cantharellus, Coscinaraea, Astrea (the snail genus is Astraea; the Astraea snails in the hobby are actually Lithopoma), most of the free-living but colonial fungiids, Ctenactis, Pleuractis, hetocyathus, ex-Phymastrea (now Favites) species, medium-large polyped Favites, etc. Corals in the middle category include Paragoniastrea (russelli and deformis; australensis is a relatively common export from Australia and is often confused with Platygyra), Boninastrea, Euphyllia paraglabrescens and baliensis, Micromussa regularis and Acanthastrea minuta, Micromussa multipunctata, Echinomorpha (rarely imported; most reported specimens are likely misidentified), etc. The last category includes all Atlantic, Western/Central Indian Ocean, and Eastern Pacific Stony Corals, and the overwhelming majority of azooxanthellate corals.
There are a few LPS in the hobby that you missed though, most notably Lithophyllon (Podabacia and colonial Cycloseris could be included in this category). Oulophyllia, too.

 

[encrustingacro]

Nice to see other young reefers here I'm a senior myself.

When I first read this I thought you meant senior as in on the elderly side. I literally just realized you meant senior in high school!

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

When I first read this I thought you meant senior as in on the elderly side. I literally just realized you meant senior in high school!

Wait really! I thought the same thing

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

ATTENTION: Poll #18 is out now! Be sure to cast your vote!

 

[Mr_Knightley]

When I first read this I thought you meant senior as in on the elderly side. I literally just realized you meant senior in high school!

Hahaha! I suppose I should have clarified that... y'all were already using school lingo so I assumed you'd be in that frame of mind lol