Blow Pops ... two different sizes? Or two difference species/morphs?

[ShanePike]

A few months ago, I bought a frag as Blow Pops at a frag swap. Later I bought a frag online that had what looked to be a Blow Pop polyp mixed in with the main frag. I separated it out on its own.

I finally decided where I wanted them on my rock work and glued them both down. That was 6+ weeks ago.

Well I've since noticed that the polyps on the Blow Pop hitchhiker are much larger than the frag swap Blow Pops — like literally twice the size. They've been in the exact same spot for 6+ weeks now, and they don't look any more like one another size-wise than they did in the beginning. The hitchhiker versions have also grown way faster.

Are these actually two different zoas, or are they just morphs of the same zoa?

(This isn't the greatest photo, but trust me when I say that they look identical in person, just completely different sizes.)

 

[Rocks reef]

Could it be an 'age' difference in the polyps? The older zoas being larger? Maybe collected from different regions?

 

[Reefer Matt]

A few months ago, I bought a frag as Blow Pops at a frag swap. Later I bought a frag online that had what looked to be a Blow Pop polyp mixed in with the main frag. I separated it out on its own.

I finally decided where I wanted them on my rock work and glued them both down. That was 6+ weeks ago.

Well I've since noticed that the polyps on the Blow Pop hitchhiker are much larger than the frag swap Blow Pops — like literally twice the size. They've been in the exact same spot for 6+ weeks now, and they don't look any more like one another size-wise than they did in the beginning. The hitchhiker versions have also grown way faster.

Are these actually two different zoas, or are they just morphs of the same zoa?

(This isn't the greatest photo, but trust me when I say that they look identical in person, just completely different sizes.)

They could different genetically, but still the same trade name. There isn’t much for lineage with zoas. Some zoas also react differently in various tanks, and can get bigger and smaller depending on parameters. That’s why I always suggest getting zoas from a different source if they don’t work out the first time.

 

[Bartanto]

I have no idea, but kinda cool! Wild guess: same coral from different environments, one reacting differently to your system. Doesn’t appear like it would be drastic, but is the flow different off the right side of that rock work?

Mine are taking over, will be interesting to see what yours look like in 6 mos.

Edit: pic is 1 year growth in a new tank FYI

 

[ShanePike]

The flow should be practically the same. And yeah, I suspect mine might be like yours in terms of growth. They've really taken off. It will be fun to watch!

 

[thamnasteroid]

if new frags, they were probably kept in different conditions, leading to different polyp sizes. I've found Zoas shrink under sub-par conditions