Has anyone tried getting solitary LPS to spawn?

[DGibster]

Hi there, newbie reefer here. I've watched a few videos on some solitary LPS corals (Scolymia, Fungia, Acanthophyla) and it seems like a lot of people like them but despair at the fact that they don't reproduce asexually and therefore cannot be fragged, meaning that virtually all have been imported and not aqua cultured. Based on the price of some of these corals it looks like there would be a huge monetary incentive to whoever could get these corals to spawn and reproduce, in addition to the fact that it would help make the hobby more sustainable in the long run. Has anyone made a serious effort at trying to get these corals to spawn?

Unfortunately, it does not seem like there is a whole lot of research into these corals. Most of the efforts at getting coral to spawn in captivity seem to be focused on Acropora and other endangered SPS corals. Solitary corals seem to be neglected in this regard.

When I have money and space for another tank, I would love to dedicate a setup trying to get these corals to spawn. I am simply wondering if anyone has already tried/is trying.

 

[ichthyogeek]

To the best of my knowledge, nobody has. I asked this same question a while back, and there wasn't any answer unfortunately.

I'm still waiting on getting a job before I start trying in earnest. I'd really like to go for scolymia/homophyllia since they sell for higher price margins, but I don't have the startup funds for that.

Instead I'm going to try with trachyphyllias, since I like their look, and they're much cheaper per head to purchase. Probably a bulk purchase from LiveAquaria or see if I can work with shippers to see if I can get ugly coral for a lower price.

Right now, I'm operating on the assumption that they either collect the sperm like rock flower anemones do, or they don't have spawning packets since that hasn't really been documented to the best of my knowledge.

 

[living_tribunal]

Many have started working on it. There have been some scientists who have had success with certain kinds of trachies I believe but it’s very difficult to do and in the early stages of development.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Many have started working on it. There have been some scientists who have had success with certain kinds of trachies I believe but it’s very difficult to do and in the early stages of development.

Source please?

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Outside of brooding corals, it's very difficult. You need to induce spawning, collect gametes, fertilize eggs from different genotypes (requiring DNA testing), settle, and finally raise them. I helped raise around 1500 A. palmata colonies collected as spawn when I was working with the SECORE group, and it's very labor intensive work.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Outside of brooding corals, it's very difficult. You need to induce spawning, collect gametes, fertilize eggs from different genotypes (requiring DNA testing), settle, and finally raise them. I helped raise around 1500 A. palmata colonies collected as spawn when I was working with the SECORE group, and it's very labor intensive work.

Would that be acropora palmata? or is it a different coral that starts with A? If it's an LPS, can you provide sources please?

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Would that be acropora palmata? or is it a different coral that starts with A? If it's an LPS, can you provide sources please?

Yes Acropora palmata, caribbean elkhorn coral. Euphyllia glabrasens is the only LPS coral I've seen reproduce in captivity, as they are brooders.

 

[andrewkw]

I have had my Rhizotrochus Typus spawn in my tank, but I only have one so obviously no babies. There was one person who did get babies in the past. Fungia babies are semi common or the most common out of the species you listed I believe they're the only one I've actually seen anyone produce babies of.

That being said they were just in reef tanks, not done by someone actively looking to reproduce them.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Ah! This reminds me: Fungia can asexually reproduce like this.

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Forgot to mention, Tubastrea are also brooders. I've had quite a few of them reproduce as well.