Hey Everyone,
One of the best things about seeing lots of coral is that you'll stumble on unusual morphs, species, or variants of relatively "common" corals from time to time. Sometimes, you'll see something that just screams "I'm totally different than the usual _____________!" Other times, it takes a fellow reef geek to point it out! Either way, that's always a lot of fun! Here are a few pieces from our inventory of different versions of common corals. If you have any crazy morphs of "common" (if there is such a thing) corals, we'd like to see them here!
First up is Montipora mollis, the "Pink Cadillac Monti". It's a massive variety that has a most distinctive appearance. The surface of the coral has a bright pinkish- orange pigmentation, while the polyps themselves are darker red color. The center of the polyps appear to also have a darker pigment. Surprisingly, it grows quite rapidly with moderate light and moderate to strong water movement. Although the coral has been propagated in captivity for quite a few years, it's not all that common. With it's truly pink color and interesting growth form, this is one that we hope hobbyists get to see more of!
Montipora mollis - "Pink Cadillac Monti" - 1.5" WYSIWYG Frag
What at first seemed to be just a nice orange Fungia turned out to be the remarkably rare (in the trade) Fungia klunzingeri! An early morning call from a very excited Jake Adams, confirmed this "Duuude....you don't know what you've got there!" Well, now we do! This species typically comes into the trade from Australia (which is precisely where this specimen came from), and grows much, much larger than typical members of its genus. It develops a very distinctive "dome" shape and distinctive coloration. If you're a collector of "Plate Corals", a piece like this is a must have for your collection!
Fungia klunzingeri - True Orange Fungia klunzingeri - 3" WYSIWYG Specimen (Rare)
While not super rare in the hobby, Goniopora continue to be compelling for many, challenging experienced and novice hobbyists alike. We've been fortunate enough to work with some of the hobby's best propagators, such as the "Goni Master" himself, Justin Credabel, who has forgotten more about the care of this genus than we'll ever know! When we stumbled upon the super cool, yet not particularly common Goniopora stutchburyi, we immediately turned to Justin, who gushed about how cool this species is: It's a densely-plyped, encrusting Goniopora, which forms "carpets" of growth. It actually seems to favor "SPS-like" conditions (i.e.; high light, moderate to strong water movement), and is a real treat for the true Goniopora fans out there!
Goniopora stutchburyi - Red Stuchburyi Goniopora - Approx 1" WYSIWYG Frag - MISC. LPS - CORAL
Well, that's a look at just a very few of the many less-than-common corals you can stumble on if you've got a sharp eye, some good reference material, and perhaps, a few friends that are obsessed with such things! The bottom line here, as we love to say, is that there really is no such thing as a "common" coral!
What sort of rarities did you stumble on in your coral hunting that are now gracing your reefs? We'd like to see!
Stay Wet!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
One of the best things about seeing lots of coral is that you'll stumble on unusual morphs, species, or variants of relatively "common" corals from time to time. Sometimes, you'll see something that just screams "I'm totally different than the usual _____________!" Other times, it takes a fellow reef geek to point it out! Either way, that's always a lot of fun! Here are a few pieces from our inventory of different versions of common corals. If you have any crazy morphs of "common" (if there is such a thing) corals, we'd like to see them here!
First up is Montipora mollis, the "Pink Cadillac Monti". It's a massive variety that has a most distinctive appearance. The surface of the coral has a bright pinkish- orange pigmentation, while the polyps themselves are darker red color. The center of the polyps appear to also have a darker pigment. Surprisingly, it grows quite rapidly with moderate light and moderate to strong water movement. Although the coral has been propagated in captivity for quite a few years, it's not all that common. With it's truly pink color and interesting growth form, this is one that we hope hobbyists get to see more of!
Montipora mollis - "Pink Cadillac Monti" - 1.5" WYSIWYG Frag
What at first seemed to be just a nice orange Fungia turned out to be the remarkably rare (in the trade) Fungia klunzingeri! An early morning call from a very excited Jake Adams, confirmed this "Duuude....you don't know what you've got there!" Well, now we do! This species typically comes into the trade from Australia (which is precisely where this specimen came from), and grows much, much larger than typical members of its genus. It develops a very distinctive "dome" shape and distinctive coloration. If you're a collector of "Plate Corals", a piece like this is a must have for your collection!
Fungia klunzingeri - True Orange Fungia klunzingeri - 3" WYSIWYG Specimen (Rare)
While not super rare in the hobby, Goniopora continue to be compelling for many, challenging experienced and novice hobbyists alike. We've been fortunate enough to work with some of the hobby's best propagators, such as the "Goni Master" himself, Justin Credabel, who has forgotten more about the care of this genus than we'll ever know! When we stumbled upon the super cool, yet not particularly common Goniopora stutchburyi, we immediately turned to Justin, who gushed about how cool this species is: It's a densely-plyped, encrusting Goniopora, which forms "carpets" of growth. It actually seems to favor "SPS-like" conditions (i.e.; high light, moderate to strong water movement), and is a real treat for the true Goniopora fans out there!
Goniopora stutchburyi - Red Stuchburyi Goniopora - Approx 1" WYSIWYG Frag - MISC. LPS - CORAL
Well, that's a look at just a very few of the many less-than-common corals you can stumble on if you've got a sharp eye, some good reference material, and perhaps, a few friends that are obsessed with such things! The bottom line here, as we love to say, is that there really is no such thing as a "common" coral!
What sort of rarities did you stumble on in your coral hunting that are now gracing your reefs? We'd like to see!
Stay Wet!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
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