Do Stylaphora Shed?

[Treefer32]

This was strange, I was planning to frag some of my SPS today. I looked to see a branch of one of my stylaphora laying on the sand bed. It was 2" branch or so, just laying on the sand, I look directly above it and see where the branch broke off. Do some SPS "shed" for lack of a better term or is it more likely a fish ran into it and broke it off (either unintentionally or intentionally)? The stylaphora looks the healthiest it's ever looked. So, just curious if they do this once in a while. I glued the frag on to a frag plug and placed in frag rack. It's polyps were extending once I gave it a few minutes alone, so it seems to be a healthy branch. Just sheared off.

 

[HuduVudu]

No. The tissue has separated and is dead.

The stylo is definitely unhappy. Work to determine the origin of the stressor, it could be to late depending on the cause of the stress.

 

[Xanthurum]

Something caused it to break off as they do not drop branches on their own. Most likely a fish or possibly you did it by accident.

I don’t think the person who posted the previous reply read your post, lol.

 

[Treefer32]

Something caused it to break off as they do not drop branches on their own. Most likely a fish or possibly you did it by accident.

I don’t think the person who posted the previous reply read your post, lol.

I agree. I'm thinking a fish must have done it then. Grrr. I was wondering if there's a fish nipping or attacking corals. Or the branch grew too long and got in it's swimming path. Either way, the coral and the branch are doing well and have been looking great. So, No comment on tissue being dead. Lol. It's most definitely alive.

 

[Softhammer]

Happens all the time in my tank. Big obnoxious fish cleave branches off with regularity. No sps naturally drop branches without something breaking them.