Can anyone ID this Coral???? I was thinking it some kind of Xenia coral….

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5489/unknowncoralmk9.jpg

Definitly not Xenia. Is the colony ball shaped with a stoney structure?

Definitly not Xenia. Is the colony ball shaped with a stoney structure?

It not stony at all, like a big ball of slim. Puffs up during the day and shrinks at night and turns smoke grey. When it feeds, it flashes grey and brown...

I should tell you, I have had it for 5-6 months and its double in size. Also I bought it at one of my LFS he sold to me for 20 bucks and he called it a modern coral...

I have taken to a couple other more experience LFS and they have never seen anything like it before...

Any way we can get a closeup?

yeah, we need a GOOD macro shot of this coral.

I will try......

Here are the close-ups of the coral… I really think it a very small Xenia of some sort now….

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3070/imgp0104xe9.jpg

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7712/imgp0106wn6.jpg

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5655/imgp0109ap3.jpg

I'm beginning to believe you are right. Xenia.

I agree. Not like any xenia I have ever seen, but the polyps sure do look like some kind of xenia.

And with it's growth rate, I'd be inclined to think it was a xenia too. But man, what stubby stalks for a xenia. How unusual!

i agree with Xenia ... maybe even somewhat of a hybrid ??

But that skeleton doesn't look like xenia...

i think it is an organ pipe (Tubipora musica) coral. they are some where between Green star polyps and galaxia, in that they act like GSP but form a skeleton check out what wikipedia says about it
Organ pipe coral - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_pipe_coral)
just a guess though

But that skeleton doesn't look like xenia...
I can't see a skelatal structure in the pictures. If it were a Tubipora it would have a skelatal structure that would look like this....

http://www.theculturedreef.com/Tubipora.jpg

And, you would be able to see it even when the polyps are extended.

I still vote Xenia.

Dick

i agree with Dick. i dont see a skeletal structure in the pics. i am sticking to xenia.

Hi cilyjr and :welcome: to TR.

Yep - Xenia that has maybe overtaken a rock or coral skeleton. I have Xenia in several tanks, all from the same frag, and they all look quite a bit different. I think flow rate, light, water parameters, fish nippers, etc. all have a huge effect on how Xenia grows and looks.

Very cool coral, though.

Hi cilyjr and :welcome: to TR.

thanks, i have been listening to the podcasts for a while but never posted here until now.....

i suppose it could be xenia that has over grown an old skeleton of a sun coral or something....could we see a wide shot of the coral closed up? also how big is this ball of mystery coral?

still it does have the big ball formation that tubipora gets...i am still not ready to give up on it yet.... :)

It's Xenia but it looks like its getting attacked by whatever is on the right side of the first picture. Looks like an anemone or a Euphyllia sp. Notice how the right side is getting more bare compared to the left side. It could be keeping it from fully extending.

It's Xenia but it looks like its getting attacked by whatever is on the right side of the first picture. Looks like an anemone or a Euphyllia sp. Notice how the right side is getting more bare compared to the left side. It could be keeping it from fully extending.

Nope, Picture just looks werid. There is nothing even close to it........:D

Nope, Picture just looks werid. There is nothing even close to it........:D

Then I don't know! :p You got me! Its a cool looking piece none the less! :D