What is this coral??

[Gary S]

I found this coral on the back of a hermit crab, and luckily it changed shells! Any idea what it is?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Clove polyp or xenia of some sort? Can you get a better picture with the white lights turned on?

 

[Gary S]

Hows that?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hows that?

Branching xenia is my guess @DSC reef @Lovemyreef2015 what do you guys think?

 

[DSC reef]

I agree, definitely a softie

 

[Gary S]

So if its a xenia, how do i keep it from spreading like mad?

 

[gtrider]

i'd say keep it on an island or pull it out to keep it from spreading.

 

[garethwood]

ill put kenyan tree out there

 

[Crabs McJones]

ill put kenyan tree out there

I thought this as well, but the polyps dont look right to be a kenyan..although I may be completely wrong lol it has happened before

 

[Gary S]

We'll see how it grows for the time being. Ill keep it way off in the sand

 

[reef lover]

Leaning toward capnella or nepethea....

 

[cristata.reef]

I'm gonna throw Alcyonium and Efflatounaria out there to given the branching pattern and polyp morphology. The thing people have to start realizing about corals is that there are several dozens of genera of corals (especially softies) that aren't sold in our hobby but pop up on shells and live rock. Unfortunately even in the scientific community soft corals are a sort of "no-go" zone were taxonomy is a mess. To make that worse there is very very little funding for even minor taxonomic work so our jumbled mess of corals may stay like that for a long time. Support your cnidarian biologists guys haha!

 

[Gary S]

I'm gonna throw Alcyonium and Efflatounaria out there to given the branching pattern and polyp morphology. The thing people have to start realizing about corals is that there are several dozens of genera of corals (especially softies) that aren't sold in our hobby but pop up on shells and live rock. Unfortunately even in the scientific community soft corals are a sort of "no-go" zone were taxonomy is a mess. To make that worse there is very very little funding for even minor taxonomic work so our jumbled mess of corals may stay like that for a long time. Support your cnidarian biologists guys haha!

Terrible photo, but its all tucked away now...

 

[Jr'sReef]

I think Kenya as well

 

[cristata.reef]

Could be a Kenya too. Lol, probably didn't need to go too hard on the whole soft coral taxonomy thing

 

[Gary S]

Now its got stalks growing out of it!?!

 

[Gary S]

Now its got stalks growing out of it!?!

What kind of algae could it be?

 

[TheBackAndForth]

What kind of algae could it be?

I think it's a clove polyp of sorts. Some algaes can be a bear. I'd slice it at the base and isolate on a frag plug or stray rock and toss that shell

Edit: the uniform cilia-like tendrils on the polyps make me think clove or similar morphology. Unsold/collected coral are cool IMO, even if not colorful