Coral id

[jsreefer]

I was gifted what I believe is a type of encrusting monti and am curious as to if this is a named monti? the way the colors are bleeding is unique to me and I can’t find any like it online it was from a coral shipment overseas it was a hitch hiker so im guessing it’s a no name monti

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Looks to me like a chalice or maybe a cyphastrea.

 

[jsreefer]

Looks to me like a chalice or maybe a cyphastrea.

I thinks it’s a monti ill try to take a better photo and try and get the polyps it is also small that’s on a 1 inch frag plug

 

[kevgib67]

I agree with it being a chalice. It looks very similar to my Raja Rampage chalice but a little different. It’s a beautiful coral!

 

[MoshJosh]

Cyphastrea is my first guess

Porites would be my second guess

Doesn't look monti to me, but maybe pics under white light?

 

[jsreefer]

I really think it’s is a monti has polyps not eyes and isn’t a cyphastrea forsure last pic is a monti from google looks kind of like the porites but I believe the polyps are to small to be that

 

[jsreefer]

Cyphastrea is my first guess

Porites would be my second guess

Doesn't look monti to me, but maybe pics under white light?

I really think it’s is a monti has polyps not eyes and isn’t a forsure last pic is a monti from google looks kind of like the porites but I believe the polyps are to small to be that

Cyphastrea is my first guess

Porites would be my second guess

Doesn't look monti to me, but maybe pics under white light?

 

[Anna K]

I think it's also a Cyphastrea

 

[jsreefer]

I think it's also a Cyphastrea

It doesn’t have formations on the polyps like a cyphastrea (cyphastrea polyps look like little volcanos) these look like monti polyps the middle ones are closed from me moving the frag but on the bottom you can see a couple of polyps that are open I thought maybe a porites but those the polyps are bigger and closer together than what I have
Attached photo is from Google of a porites really close but not the same structure

 

[Anna K]

It doesn’t have formations on the polyps like a cyphastrea (cyphastrea polyps look like little volcanos) these look like monti polyps the middle ones are closed from me moving the frag but on the bottom you can see a couple of polyps that are open

It looks like this one from TCK

Lg Reptar Cyphastrea Ends Tonight at 5:14 PM ET.
​

 

[jsreefer]

It looks like this one from TCK

Color wise kind of but the texture is not the same I promise it’s not a cyphastrea doesn’t have protruding bumps on the polyps like that look at the texture and the frag below it is a monti was similar in color green base with red it lost the green but doesnt have that bleeding color on the edge like that I was just wondering if there was a named monti that looks like this. it came on a wild coral shipment I think it was on a Yuma rock or a torch colony was not purchased came free as a hitch hiker from indo I believe

 

[MoshJosh]

Hmm I agree that looking at the polyps a little closer you may be right. Let me do some more googling.

The texture of the skin between polyps and "melting" purple color just doesn't read monti to me but. . . like I said I will keep searching.

The JF Reverse Sunset Monti has similar coloration. . . Maybe???

 

[Mschmidt]

Defcon cyphastrea
Here it in my tank

 

[jsreefer]

Hmm I agree that looking at the polyps a little closer you may be right. Let me do some more googling.

The texture of the skin between polyps and "melting" purple color just doesn't read monti to me but. . . like I said I will keep searching.

The JF Reverse Sunset Monti has similar coloration. . .

I was thinking maybe it’s new variation possibly due to the fact that it is a wild caught species it was pretty much bicatch from cultured torches I believe from indo

 

[BryanM]

Well, whatever it is, its cool, and it looks like it likes its home :)

 

[MikeyZo]

This is my encrusting monti. The polyps do resemble this more

 

[thamnasteroid]

Monti or Stylo possibly.

I think it's also a Cyphastrea

Defcon cyphastrea
Here it in my tank

Not Cyphastrea; those have plocoid corallites.

I agree with it being a chalice. It looks very similar to my Raja Rampage chalice but a little different. It’s a beautiful coral!

Looks to me like a chalice or maybe a cyphastrea.

Not Chalice either; notice the extended polyps as oppose to the closed oral discs in chalices

 

[jsreefer]

Monti or Stylo possibly.


Not Cyphastrea; those have plocoid corallites.



Not Chalice either; notice the extended polyps as oppose to the closed oral discs in chalices

I think it’s a type of montipora just found it odd with the bleeding pattern I can try and count the polyp tips not sure if that would help though

 

[tbrown]

Monti or Stylo possibly.


Not Cyphastrea; those have plocoid corallites.



Not Chalice either; notice the extended polyps as oppose to the closed oral discs in chalices

I'm wondering if it's not in the same family as the Master PPE Cyphastrea? Not sure if that's misidentified as a Cyphastrea or not but very similar?

 

[thamnasteroid]

I think it’s a type of montipora just found it odd with the bleeding pattern I can try and count the polyp tips not sure if that would help though

Bleeding corallites occasionally happens in captivity.

I'm wondering if it's not in the same family as the Master PPE Cyphastrea? Not sure if that's misidentified as a Cyphastrea or not but very similar?

No, it's not. Master PPE Cyphastrea, like other Cyphastrea, has plocoid corallites, with polyps that sit on top of the corallite. This coral does not have plocoid corallites, and has polyps that extend out from the corallite (think Monti or Acro). Bleeding corallites isn't really a good characteristic for identification.