Coral id

catfishblues · Oct 31, 2018

Found this on wwc under softies labled as a blue truffala tree but can't find anything about it online.

Oscaror · Oct 31, 2018

catfishblues said:
Found this on wwc under softies labled as a blue truffala tree but can't find anything about it online.

they appear to be blue clove polyps

catfishblues · Oct 31, 2018

That's what I was thinking. I thought maybe because the word "tree" and a little bit of the camera angle it could have been some more unique branching coral. Thanks!

cristata.reef · Nov 1, 2018

It's an Asterospicularia, a very uncommon genus of soft corals that entered the hobby a few months ago. If you get it you will be one of maybe 100-200 people in the world who can say that they have it. Like all octocorals they will grow fast once established and make nice propagation candidates. It'd definitely be a unique piece

Here's a link https://reefs.com/2012/05/01/asterospicularia-at-live-aquaria/

catfishblues · Nov 1, 2018

Sonofives said:
It's an Asterospicularia, a very uncommon genus of soft corals that entered the hobby a few months ago. If you get it you will be one of maybe 100-200 people in the world who can say that they have it. Like all octocorals they will grow fast once established and make nice propagation candidates. It'd definitely be a unique piece

Here's a link https://reefs.com/2012/05/01/asterospicularia-at-live-aquaria/

Dang okay I'm giving it a try! Thanks

cristata.reef · Nov 1, 2018

Let me know how it goes. I like unique soft corals but a $60 frag was a little overkill for me, especially since I didn't know how it'd look in the tank

catfishblues · Nov 1, 2018

Yeah it was for sure steep but I've been having a hard time finding anything that's not pretty generic so I decided to pull the trigger [emoji16]
Hopefully will have some frags soon enough!

cristata.reef · Nov 2, 2018

I wonder if you'll be able to manipulate coloration of fluorescence under actinics. Post pics when you get it, I'd like to see

catfishblues · Nov 2, 2018

I'm also curious to how the colors will look as well as growth patterns, polyp size, and all that. I found a tiny bit online but mostly that it grew quickly like Xenia and possibly would get tall.
It arrives Saturday so I'll post then!

cristata.reef · Nov 2, 2018

catfishblues said:
I'm also curious to how the colors will look as well as growth patterns, polyp size, and all that. I found a tiny bit online but mostly that it grew quickly like Xenia and possibly would get tall.
It arrives Saturday so I'll post then!

There are two common growth forms in the trade at the moment, a matting form similar to GSP but with taller polyps and a branching form similar to xenia and heteroxenia. Identification beyond that point usually requires examination of sclerite morphology under a microscope, but for all that matters their care should be the same. Not sure which one you will be getting, but IMO the branching one looks a lot nicer