Coral ID

[CRABDADDY]

Hey all, I noticed this little coral awhile back in my tank. I thought it was a piece of the monti cap next to it, but now that it's polyps are large enough to see it no longer looks like montipora to me. Any idea as to what this could be? I'm really excited to find this in my tank and I'd love to have an idea of what it is!

 

[thamnasteroid]

I'm honestly stumped on this one. My best guess would be an aberrant Turbinaria based on the coenosteum, but those don't have acrospheres.

 

[CRABDADDY]

I'm honestly stumped on this one. My best guess would be an aberrant Turbinaria based on the coenosteum, but those don't have acrospheres.

I do not know much about taxonomy or coral ID. I looked up coenosteum and that's the space between the polyps, correct? I couldn't find a definition for acrospheres. What does that mean?

 

[thamnasteroid]

I do not know much about taxonomy or coral ID. I looked and that's the space between the polyps, correct? I couldn't find a definition for acrospheres. What does that mean?

More the space outside the calices. Acrospheres are nematocyst batteries at the tip of the tentacles

 

[CRABDADDY]

More the space outside the calices. Acrospheres are nematocyst batteries at the tip of the tentacles

I'm looking at coral polyp anatomy for the first time and this is so cool. I just found something new to dig into.

 

[crazyfishmom]

This looks like a chalice I have… here is a picture. It’s an alien eye chalice.