can anyone tell me what this is?

[jenniebutterfly]

this came on some zoos i bought about a year ago, i always thought it was a sponge ( when it was with the zoos it never opened like this, it was oval and flat looking) so i fragged it out, and glued it to it's own rock, it now opens, when fully opened it is a bit smaller than a dime. when closed it is about the size of a pencil eraser. some people have said elegance coral, and others say anemone. i do not have strong lighting on my tank at all, 113 watts of compact fluorescents on a 36 bow, so whatever it is, it does ok with out high lighting. the color is a bit off in the pic, body is baby blue, and tenticals are purplish blue

 

[clownfishking]

Does it have a shell like body?

 

[marrone]

It looks like an anemone. If it was a elegance coral it would have a hard skeleton where the polyps would put into. It could also be some type of soft coral.

 

[jenniebutterfly]

what do you mean by a shell like body? i cannot even tell if it has a skeleton or not, it is so small, i don't want to hurt it.

 

[jenniebutterfly]

here is a pic before i got it away from the zoos, it never opened up when it was by them,

 

[marrone]

It's probably doesn't have a skeleton as you would have notice it when you move it and glue it to the rock. Was the polyp soft all around or did it have a hard shell around it. You would notice it when it closes up.

It's most likely an anemone or soft type of soft coral.

 

[jenniebutterfly]

when i moved it, a was holding it by the rock that i scraped off with it. i have to wear aqua gloves when i work with my tank cuz the salt irritates my skin, so it is hard for me to feel it. i am not too sure if it is an anemone, but i can totally belive it to be a sort of soft coral, i just wish i knew what kind so i can care for it right, but i guess after having it for a year i am doing something right, thanks

 

[ctxmonitor]

jennie, so you had it for a year and it never grew any bigger nor open up?

 

[ctxmonitor]

I'm suprise that it still alive and health..

 

[jenniebutterfly]

it was among the zoos for like 10 months, i chipped the rock away and glued it to the new rock it is on. when i did this i damaged some of the tissue a bit, and it looked like i would lose it. then after about a month it started to open up, and this is how it looks now. it appears to have at leats 4 or 5 mouths on it, and i have seen it eating brine shrimp. but while it was in the middle of the zoos i figured it was a sponge, thats what it was id'd as, so i never worried about it, but then one day i decided to take it out of the zoos while i was fragging them so i could hold onto it, and see what happens, and it turns into this.

 

[Crakeur lost his password]

it actually looks like a tiny torch coral.

 

[jenniebutterfly]

ok, so i pulled it out today when some coral got knocked over, i gently touched the top of it, and the sides, and it does feel like it has a skeletal structure. so not a softie or anemone.

jen

 

[jenniebutterfly]

oh and i cannot see the skeleton if that makes any difference

 

[nanoreefer22]

Hey Jennifer,
I was looking through the forums on RC and I came accross a coral that looks very similar to the one you have there. Check it out.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=535811

Kris

 

[jenniebutterfly]

hmmmm could be, not sure, i wish it would grow more so it would be easier to id. i mean it is so tiny. it looks like all the tissue on mine is connected though, but maybe thats just because it is young. i keep meaning to post mine on rc. maybe i can get to that today or tomorrow

jen

 

[Crakeur lost his password]

jennie, if this came on rock it might also be one of these:

Lesser Star Coral Sideratrea radians

Hidden Cup Coral Phyllangia americana

commonly found on live rock from florida.

here's a link to a species list that florida live rocks posts on their website. pictures included on that list.
http://www.gulf-view.com/species_list_on_rock.html

 

[jenniebutterfly]

hm does not look like any of those, but that is a great page. it did come on a rock, but one from an aquaculturing place with zoos on it. if only i knew what else they kept in the same tanks

 

[Crakeur lost his password]

probably some variant of that coral. why don't you call the place you got the zoos from. maybe they can tell you.

 

[jenniebutterfly]

hahaha fishtown, i hardly doubt it lol. not too many people there that know much about anything.

jen