I've picked up my first hammer coral frag the other day and am curious if the shape of the hammer polyps is dependent upon the size of the branch/head? Or is it related to flow/light? The frag I have has one main branch and the start of a tiny small head. On the main head, the hammer polyps are about 50/50 hammer shaped and oval shaped. they seem to be more hammer shaped in the middle of the head where the polyps are largest.. and more oval shaped toward the outside. The smaller head is all oval shaped polyps.
I am also looking at another frag to purchase of a very small hammer frag and all the polyps are more oval shaped than hammer. I am wondering if the size of the head/age of the branch is partly determining the development of full on hammer shaped polyps? Do they become more hammer shaped and pronounced the older and larger they get? Or is this fully dependent upon flow/light?
Here is the frag I just picked up the other day for example:
I am also looking at another frag to purchase of a very small hammer frag and all the polyps are more oval shaped than hammer. I am wondering if the size of the head/age of the branch is partly determining the development of full on hammer shaped polyps? Do they become more hammer shaped and pronounced the older and larger they get? Or is this fully dependent upon flow/light?
Here is the frag I just picked up the other day for example: