another probably not an Acan Maxima thread ...

billygalaxy · Mar 2, 2024

My LFS had this coral as an Acan Maxima, which for obvious reasons I am assuming that it is not.
Any thoughts on what it might be? Larger than a button scoly, I'd say about the size of a small Scolymia.

encrustingacro · Mar 2, 2024

Sclerophyllia maxima (formerly Acanthastrea) is a Western Indian Ocean endemic, so it would not be found in the hobby. S. maxima also looks nothing like what the misidentifies it as, being weakly colonial and looking more like a mix between Micromussa and Lobophyllia instead of solitary and donut-like.
Scleropjyllia maxima, Intertidal habitat | Gujarat, India | Credit: Chiranjiv Bhatti

Your coral is likely Micromussa pacifica (the Western Australian population has not been studied molecularly at this time, so identification is tentative), commonly called "button", "mini", or "croc island" Scolymia by the hobby.
Micromussa Pacifica | Exmouth, Western Australia | Credit: Alex Hoschke

billygalaxy · Mar 2, 2024

encrustingacro said:
Sclerophyllia maxima (formerly Acanthastrea) is a Western Indian Ocean endemic, so it would not be found in the hobby. S. maxima also looks nothing like what the misidentifies it as, being weakly colonial and looking more like a mix between Micromussa and Lobophyllia instead of solitary and donut-like.
Scleropjyllia maxima, Intertidal habitat | Gujarat, India | Credit: Chiranjiv Bhatti

Your coral is likely Micromussa pacifica (the Western Australian population has not been studied molecularly at this time, so identification is tentative), commonly called "button", "mini", or "croc island" Scolymia by the hobby.
Micromussa Pacifica | Exmouth, Western Australia | Credit: Alex Hoschke

I would be pretty surprised if it was a button scoly as I have several and this is both quite a bit different morphologically in addition to being substantially larger.