What is this coral???

[Clown79]

My lfs has this coral on display.

 

They say it's a plate coral but it looks like no other plate I have seen.

 

It has multiple heads like a blasto but tentacles like a plate.

 

 

[RayWhisperer]

That is an oddball. The outer edges are somewhat plate like. However, like you, it’s unlike any plate I’ve seen. I’ll wait until it gets settled in and has some polyp extension before I make a guess.

 

i say that, assuming you’ve already bought it. If not, do it. That is a fantastic looking coral. It’s obviously some sort of LPS, so care should be easily within your scope.

[RayWhisperer]

Just a thought. If ID proves difficult, a shot of the skeleton underneath SHOULD be a good indicator if it is indeed a plate of some sort.

[Clown79]

It's not for sale?

I want it but they only sell the babies from it.

 

I know. It kind of looks like a plate, has babies like a plate,  but the dome shape and the heads are not like a plate.

 

It's really beautiful and very odd. 

I had to take a pic to show all on nano.

[RayWhisperer]

Tell them I said to sell it to you.  See if that works.

[Nano sapiens]

Is it capable of moving around like a typical plate coral? 

 

If not, then there are only (3) Fungiidae species that remain fixed to a substrate:

 

lithophyllon (fixed, collonial polyps)

podabacia (fixed, collonial polyps)

cantharellus (fixed, solitary polyp).

 

Looks like multiple mouths, so based on a google pic search I'd lean toward some type of lithophyllon.

[RayWhisperer]

That was just what was needed to start the search, Nano.

 

with Nano’s direction, and a bit of digging, I found another possibility. Diaseris distorta, or some other species in the genus. Most pics look like a self fragging plate, but a few images are very fleshy, like your mystery coral, and have an almost colonial looking skeleton. Worth checking out, I guess.

 

Edit. 

http://www.marinelifephotography.com/corals/mushroom/diaseris-fragilis.htm

and another image for good measure.

[Nano sapiens]

The original pic is a bit small, but it appears to have multiple embedded mouths .  I believe that the Diaseris genus sport one mouth, and when fragmenting into pieces, part of the mouth ends up creating the little baby's mouth.

[RayWhisperer]

You’re right about the Diaseris. All images seem to be a single mouth. However, all the lithophyllon I found show mouths in rows, like a chalice, but more organized, radiating out from a central point. 

 

Looking back at the original pic, I don’t really know what to make of it. 

 

Edit. 

What to you make of this, Nano? Serious question, not trying to be an ass. This is an image from the link I posted. It’s supposedly a Diaseris. It looks like it has 3 mouths. Possibility, or just different color where the mouth will form, once it’s separated itself?

[Nano sapiens]

18 minutes ago, RayWhisperer said:

You’re right about the Diaseris. All images seem to be a single mouth. However, all the lithophyllon I found show mouths in rows, like a chalice, but more organized, radiating out from a central point. 

 

Looking back at the original pic, I don’t really know what to make of it. 

 

Edit. 

What to you make of this, Nano? Serious question, not trying to be an ass. This is an image from the link I posted. It’s supposedly a Diaseris. It looks like it has 3 mouths. Possibility, or just different color where the mouth will form, once it’s separated itself?

Hmmm, interesting.  Looks to me like sections that have started to form a new entity, but have stayed attached for an extended period?  Would be interesting to see the bottom side of this specimen.

[RayWhisperer]

On 1/7/2018 at 11:16 AM, RayWhisperer said:

Just a thought. If ID proves difficult, a shot of the skeleton underneath SHOULD be a good indicator if it is indeed a plate of some sort.

 

18 minutes ago, Nano sapiens said:

  Would be interesting to see the bottom side of this specimen.

Just reach in that tank and snap a pic of it’s skeketon, Clown. We both insist you do so.

[gone_PHiSHin]

wow, interesting.  doesn't look like any plate i've seen

 

what great color!

[jambon]

It is a plate coral. It came from my tank it originally came from reef raft in Mississauga. I had a huge algae problem and the piece was covered, I almost lost this piece.  When the algae problem was under control there were just dots of orange left on the plate... each of the dots turned into a small plate! I had kept a small one 1/2 inch and it is now triple in size. I should have named it "the golden goose coral?"

Clown tell Johnathon to save you a baby lol.

[Clown79]

On 08/01/2018 at 9:14 PM, RayWhisperer said:

 

Just reach in that tank and snap a pic of it’s skeketon, Clown. We both insist you do so.

Lol.

 

If I could I would!

20 hours ago, jambon said:

It is a plate coral. It came from my tank it originally came from reef raft in Mississauga. I had a huge algae problem and the piece was covered, I almost lost this piece.  When the algae problem was under control there were just dots of orange left on the plate... each of the dots turned into a small plate! I had kept a small one 1/2 inch and it is now triple in size. I should have named it "the golden goose coral?"

Clown tell Johnathon to save you a baby lol.

They charge too much for a quarter size baby. Same price as a 4" plate.

 

They so far have only had 1 baby that I've seen.

 

This coral just puzzled me like no other.

 

But I'm starting to think plates are odd.

 

I have 2 plates. One has no tentacles and never has.

The other, the tentacles are tiny

Neither is very fleshy. I got them like this and it's been 9 months and still not poofy or with tenticles.

[jambon]

It is a plate coral. It came from my tank it originally came from reef raft in Mississauga. I had a huge his problem and I almost lost this piece.  When the algae problem was under control there were just dots of orange left on the plate... each of the dots turned into a small plate! I had kept a small one 1/2 inch and it is now triple it'