Coral ID | Help finalize my decision | Chalice or Tiny Blasto

[W0terMoist]

When it is closed it looks like a chalice, but when open the heads look like a blasto. I showed these pics to my local reef shop and they say blasto, some people on reef2reef suggested chalice. Besides the shape of the heads, nothing else to me says blasto. The frag is on a 3/4 inch diameter plug so the frag itself is tiny. I just have never seen a blasto that doesn't have any sign of a skeleton like this one.

Have yall ever seen a blasto like this? The heads look like miniature blastomussa merletti heads.

 

[Wolf89]

a blasto wont have a underlying skeleton like that IME. Chalice.

 

[SchrutesReefs]

I would go the other way and say blasto. The chalice wouldn’t “close” it would more or less shrink up. And blasto/blasto merletti would have a skeleton since they are LPS.

 

[JGT]

Blasto. They have skeletons.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

When it is closed it looks like a chalice, but when open the heads look like a blasto. I showed these pics to my local reef shop and they say blasto, some people on reef2reef suggested chalice. Besides the shape of the heads, nothing else to me says blasto. The frag is on a 3/4 inch diameter plug so the frag itself is tiny. I just have never seen a blasto that doesn't have any sign of a skeleton like this one.

Have yall ever seen a blasto like this? The heads look like miniature blastomussa merletti heads.

This seems to really be causing you distress... I think you should send it to me. I'll do this for you, no need to thank me ;)

 

[Wolf89]

Blasto. They have skeletons.

Never said they didn't but you will clearly see individual heads on the skeleton like a hammer but tiny, you know? I won't grow like a mat with polyps randomly on it like this coral presents.

 

[BranchingHammer]

Looks like a chalice with feeder tentacles out. The texture of the flesh/underlying skeleton is characteristic of a chalice.

 

[Kasrift]

Never said they didn't but you will clearly see individual heads on the skeleton like a hammer but tiny, you know? I won't grow like a mat with polyps randomly on it like this coral presents.

I ran across this thread after it has been open for awhile, but I say blasto. People often forget that Indo blastos are different than Aussie blastos which have a more visible skeleton. Indo blastos can start small, but grow flatter to a rock surface and get larger in the long run and they can come in more striking colors.

 

[BranchingHammer]

Still think Chalice with feeder tentacles extended. The skeletal structure around the polyps is characteristic of a chalice and not a blasto IMO.