Identifying different SPS… How do you experts do it?

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I’ve only just began to get into SPS and have got two beautiful blue frags growing currently.
Now, I know there’s a ton of different acros and SPS in general. But it seems the most common in this hobby include:
Montipora capricornis
Montipora digitata
Montipora spoingodes
Acropora millepora
Acropora tortuosa

How do we differentiate SPS from eachother?
is it something to do with the Polyps, growth or just the look in general?

Sorry for the many questions it’s just how I’d love to have different species and not just this one species dominating the tank.
 

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its easy to see the difference when they grow in big colony. another story when its a half inch frag on a plug...
This. Buying a frag, you need to trust your source. You can also ask for a colony shot. The true shape and colors come when it starts growing into a colony and you can see the new growth tips.
 
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its easy to see the difference when they grow in big colony. another story when its a half inch frag on a plug...
I mean in general, so both when they’re small frags and a large colony if that helps.

Maybe it can help me ID the 1-1.5 inch frag I have towards the top of my rockwork.
 
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This. Buying a frag, you need to trust your source. You can also ask for a colony shot. The true shape and colors come when it starts growing into a colony and you can see the new growth tips.
My only issue is how many Acros are sold as “Staghorn” over here so I was hoping to try ID them at a younger age so I know which definitive Species it was. I assume as a small frag no matter the species the polyp will always be close together and in contact.
 

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My only issue is how many Acros are sold as “Staghorn” over here so I was hoping to try ID them at a younger age so I know which definitive Species it was. I assume as a small frag no matter the species the polyp will always be close together and in contact.
When sold as staghorn, it is always staghorn. I have blue ones, pink ones, red ones and green ones. Good golly they grow fast. They all look "good" but you will end up cutting them out over time and replacing them with more precious (expensive) species. Call it a good problem to have. Seriously. That experience proves you know what you are doing and can feel confident trading up.
 

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When I first got into the hobby I became obsessed with corals, I spent a lot of time pouring through the pages of these
books


1651625207265.png


Can click around here

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species_factsheet_summary/acropora-millepora/

by looking at the corallite structure you can narrow things down quite a bit.

Say

1651625701453.png


vs
1651625740055.png
 

ScottB

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When I first got into the hobby I became obsessed with corals, I spent a lot of time pouring through the pages of these
books

There also used be a website that you could look everything up, but it seems the URL is broken now.


1651625207265.png
Great books.

67331838734--A3AD00D1-1AEC-41FA-B920-13EE668A1430.jpg
 

Sabellafella

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I’ve only just began to get into SPS and have got two beautiful blue frags growing currently.
Now, I know there’s a ton of different acros and SPS in general. But it seems the most common in this hobby include:
Montipora capricornis
Montipora digitata
Montipora spoingodes
Acropora millepora
Acropora tortuosa

How do we differentiate SPS from eachother?
is it something to do with the Polyps, growth or just the look in general?

Sorry for the many questions it’s just how I’d love to have different species and not just this one species dominating the tank.
I think its a mix of me having the luxury of 1 being in the hobby long enuff, and two I guess being really socially involved. I've gotten to see most of these corals in person, wether it was at trade shows or friends or shops ect. I take the pictures with the gel filters and have done my fair share of photos. Safe to say I can mostly identify nearly everything, even thru photography. Encluding the names of corals that are rebranded from vendor to vendor.
 
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When sold as staghorn, it is always staghorn. I have blue ones, pink ones, red ones and green ones. Good golly they grow fast. They all look "good" but you will end up cutting them out over time and replacing them with more precious (expensive) species. Call it a good problem to have. Seriously. That experience proves you know what you are doing and can feel confident trading up.
I was told that “Staghorn” corals aren’t in the hobby - Cervicornis is the only Staghorn apparently and they’re ciritically endangered.
 

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I was told that “Staghorn” corals aren’t in the hobby - Cervicornis is the only Staghorn apparently and they’re ciritically endangered.
You are right. I stand corrected.

In the hobby, staghorn sometimes gets thrown around as a generic term for acropora that are long and leggy. But staghorn are a specific specie similar to A. Formosa and A. Prolifera.
 
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You are right. I stand corrected.

In the hobby, staghorn sometimes gets thrown around as a generic term for acropora that are long and leggy. But staghorn are a specific specie similar to A. Formosa and A. Prolifera.
Ah, that makes more sense.
What coral are Acropora prolifera and Acropora formosa out of curiousity?
 

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Ah, that makes more sense.
What coral are Acropora prolifera and Acropora formosa out of curiousity?
Those are the actual scientific names. As to "branded" marketing names I am not familiar with any honestly. Perhaps they don't color up like many Mill and tenuis do.
 

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Can you please check the year and ISBN or those books...I want to get them ordered for my local library since they're so expensive all together as a set
First published in Australia in 2000.

Volume 1: 0 642 32236 8
Volume 2: 0 642 32237 6
Volume 3: 0 642 32238 4

I am told they are not presently in USA circulation. My LFS buddy bought this (slightly used) set for me off of ebay.
 

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First published in Australia in 2000.

Volume 1: 0 642 32236 8
Volume 2: 0 642 32237 6
Volume 3: 0 642 32238 4

I am told they are not presently in USA circulation. My LFS buddy bought this (slightly used) set for me off of ebay.
Thanks for taking the time to check for me!...I'm actually in Bangkok and was going to have my university library order them for me if possible
 

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Thanks for taking the time to check for me!...I'm actually in Bangkok and was going to have my university library order them for me if possible
You are welcome. This is the kind of material that all should have access to. Lets just hope that most of these species are able to adapt to the new normal temps and acidity.
 

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Staghorn, tabling, massive, encrusting, plating etc. are descriptions of how corals grow. There are multiple different staghorn Acropora species. A. cervicornis is the only staghorn in the Caribbean (and yes, only available for scientists). However, there are 20 or so staghorn Acropora species in the Pacific and Indian oceans that are available through the hobby legally (at least currently).
 
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Staghorn, tabling, massive, encrusting, plating etc. are descriptions of how corals grow. There are multiple different staghorn Acropora species. A. cervicornis is the only staghorn in the Caribbean (and yes, only available for scientists). However, there are 20 or so staghorn Acropora species in the Pacific and Indian oceans that are available through the hobby legally (at least currently).
Ah, I assume Acropora yongei is one of those species then as I see Green and Purple Slimers under the name of Staghorn quite often.

Now it makes more sense as I was told the only true Staghorn was A. cervicornis a while ago.
 

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