Unknown coral update

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

The plot thickens....

The marine biologist I'm in contact with thinks there is a possibility this is a new species (if so I get to name it

). I'm trying my damndest to get macro photos that are quality enough to be examined but I have an almost 20 year old Nikon D70 (4mp). So I am kinda limited. I've ordered a used camera that has 14 mp. Hopefully that will improve things. My partner tried his cell phone with a macro lens but even that wasn't clear enough and he has a pixel. My phone (an iPhone XR) doesn't even stand a chance. I found my macro lens for the SLR so hopefully it will be enough.

They seem to be growing quite well and the two with yellow have already put on some size.

supplemental light provided by a 6500K LED daylight bulb.

ProfessorAronnax · Oct 19, 2019

I'm super jealous! It really is looking amazing! Any thoughts on a name???

C. Eymann · Oct 19, 2019

Looks like a lithophyton to my eyes?

I know to get a positive ID on a lot of these types of coral you have to examine and compare their small calcium carbonate "sclerites" under a microscope.

Dr. Dendrostein · Oct 19, 2019

Really nice specimens. WOW!!!!

C. Eymann · Oct 19, 2019

Dr. Dendrostein said:
Really nice specimens. WOW!!!!

You seem to be very successful with Dendronepthya and seclectonepthya and other softies, any idea what this is? OPs polyps appear to be brownish so I assume its photosynthetic?

Dr. Dendrostein · Oct 19, 2019

C. Eymann said:
You seem to be very successful with Dendronepthya and seclectonepthya and other softies, any idea what this is? OPs polyps appear to be brownish so I assume its photosynthetic?

Definitely photosynthetic, if they were nps, I would imput. Your guess good as mine. I love the one that looks like it has some lavender in it. They're gorgeous. I haven't seen any like them. You wonder what's still out there, to be discovered.

C. Eymann · Oct 19, 2019

Maybe could be lemnalia as well?

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

C. Eymann said:
Looks like a lithophyton to my eyes?

I know to get a positive ID on a lot of these types of coral you have to examine and compare their small calcium carbonate "sclerites" under a microscope.

Yup, and we've talked about that. If he definitely thinks they are an unknown species (sub species of chromonepthea I think) I'll probably have to send him tissue samples. I'm hoping one of the aquariums around here would be equipped to take microscopic photos and send them rather than trying to preserve actual tissue samples.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

C. Eymann said:
You seem to be very successful with Dendronepthya and seclectonepthya and other softies, any idea what this is? OPs polyps appear to be brownish so I assume its photosynthetic?

They are brownish in sunlight or lower kelvin light. In 15K light or higher they are purple. And yes, I think it's probably photosynthetic due to how it reacts to pure sunlight.
It also does something very unusual that I've never personally observed in any tree type corals.
The polyps will grab at food floating by. But if it misses it immediately opens back up. Reminds me a lot of how Xenia acts. It's not constant, only when there is a potential snack. But it's the speed at which it does this. It's also very, very quick to open back up after being disturbed. Sometimes within a minute it will be completely re-fluffed.

As for it being litophyton, according to Mr. Alderslade, all nepthea species are called litophyton now. I don't know the details on that, but I'm hoping to find out when I get the book I've been searching for.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

C. Eymann said:
Maybe could be lemnalia as well?

Mr. Alderson was very sure Lemnalia was off the list. Only three types of "nepthea" come with color like this. Liptohyton, steronepthea, and chromonepthea.
And of the three only Litophyton is photosynthetic but has colorless sclerites. This one has yellow or orange depending on which colony you look at.

Like I said, as soon as I can get decent photos he'll have a much better idea.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

ProfessorAronnax said:
I'm super jealous! It really is looking amazing! Any thoughts on a name???

Apparently if I get to name it it would be named after me. Not sure my name would do well as a coral name. LOL

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

Dr. Dendrostein said:
Definitely photosynthetic, if they were nps, I would imput. Your guess good as mine. I love the one that looks like it has some lavender in it. They're gorgeous. I haven't seen any like them. You wonder what's still out there, to be discovered.

The purple showing up depends all on the light. In sunlight or 10K it's a soft brownish purple. In 15K lighting or 20K lighting it's purple on one and almost blue on the other. But the one it's more blue on has less yellow in the stalks.

They are the prettiest soft corals I've ever seen honestly.

ProfessorAronnax · Oct 19, 2019

MixedFruitBasket said:
The purple showing up depends all on the light. In sunlight or 10K it's a soft brownish purple. In 15K lighting or 20K lighting it's purple on one and almost blue on the other. But the one it's more blue on has less yellow in the stalks.

They are the prettiest soft corals I've ever seen honestly.

As a Marine biologist myself, I would be happy to take a look as well. Generally I accept pieces roughly one inch in size and attached to a frag plug

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

ProfessorAronnax said:
As a Marine biologist myself, I would be happy to take a look as well. Generally I accept pieces roughly one inch in size and attached to a frag plug

Ooooh I see what you did there. Clever

Dr. Dendrostein · Oct 19, 2019

ProfessorAronnax said:
As a Marine biologist myself, I would be happy to take a look as well. Generally I accept pieces roughly one inch in size and attached to a frag plug

Let's me guess, has to be alive, not frozen.

ProfessorAronnax · Oct 19, 2019

...dare I say yes? LOL!

C. Eymann · Oct 19, 2019

MixedFruitBasket said:
They are brownish in sunlight or lower kelvin light. In 15K light or higher they are purple. And yes, I think it's probably photosynthetic due to how it reacts to pure sunlight.
It also does something very unusual that I've never personally observed in any tree type corals.
The polyps will grab at food floating by. But if it misses it immediately opens back up. Reminds me a lot of how Xenia acts. It's not constant, only when there is a potential snack. But it's the speed at which it does this. It's also very, very quick to open back up after being disturbed. Sometimes within a minute it will be completely re-fluffed.

As for it being litophyton, according to Mr. Alderslade, all nepthea species are called litophyton now. I don't know the details on that, but I'm hoping to find out when I get the book I've been searching for.

Interesting, huh, I was unaware of the reclassification all nepthea are now joining/becoming synonymous with the lithophyton genus.

Taxonomy can be difficult to stay up to date on, changes are made all the time!
Following this thread for sure! , would be so cool to be able to have a coral named after you, and be involved with new species discovery!

Definitely jealous lol

sfin52 · Oct 19, 2019

MixedFruitBasket said:
The plot thickens....

The marine biologist I'm in contact with thinks there is a possibility this is a new species (if so I get to name it ). I'm trying my damndest to get macro photos that are quality enough to be examined but I have an almost 20 year old Nikon D70 (4mp). So I am kinda limited. I've ordered a used camera that has 14 mp. Hopefully that will improve things. My partner tried his cell phone with a macro lens but even that wasn't clear enough and he has a pixel. My phone (an iPhone XR) doesn't even stand a chance. I found my macro lens for the SLR so hopefully it will be enough.

They seem to be growing quite well and the two with yellow have already put on some size.

supplemental light provided by a 6500K LED daylight bulb.

Did you buy it or collect it.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

sfin52 said:
Did you buy it or collect it.

I bought it from a LFS who sold them to me as overpriced Kenya trees. I knew looking at them they weren't Kenya and when I said something the guy laughed at me and rolled his eyes. I'm like, okay, whatever, so I bought the three that came in. I had every intentions of going back and trying to get more if they came in but he didn't get a shipment in this last week so I didn't go. I want to try and stay on top of his delivery though to see if I get lucky again.

MixedFruitBasket · Oct 19, 2019

C. Eymann said:
Interesting, huh, I was unaware of the reclassification all nepthea are now joining/becoming synonymous with the lithophyton genus.

Taxonomy can be difficult to stay up to date on, changes are made all the time!
Following this thread for sure! , would be so cool to be able to have a coral named after you, and be involved with new species discovery!

Definitely jealous lol

I had no idea either. He just mentioned it in an e-mail. As for the coral being named after me, that's kind of weird feeling and strangely exciting. Then I'm like---could I possibly sell that privilege and get enough to buy a new fish tank....

Yeah--priorities--I have them....