What is this?

[Natterjak]

Anyone have a guess as to what coral this is? I think it's some sort of Acan?

 

[seminolecpa]

That would be my guess too.

 

[Natterjak]

I've had it for a while, figured it was some sort of Acan, but no idea which kind. Finally got around to taking a decent picture of it.

 

[LeviT]

That's a really bad coral for you tank, I'll help you get rid of it jk Nice piece Bonnie, I'm fairly certain it's an emerald green Aussie acan.
http://www.club-zoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5548

 

[sfsuphysics]

Sub-echinata is my guess

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Looks kind of Acan (sub)echinata?

http://www2.aims.gov.au/coralsearch/html/701-800/Species%20pages/784.htm
http://www2.aims.gov.au/coralsearch/html/001-100/Species%20pages/2.htm

 

[LeviT]

So what's the difference? This pic is SUPPOSED to be an emerald aussie acan and looks just like Bonnies. Is sub echinata just more specific?

 

[Natterjak]

Yeah, after looking at some pics, I think it's a subechinata. The polyps are "fluffy" and seem to run into each other - not distinct like a lord. Echinatas just never look fluffy to me, so that's where I was confused. Didn't realize subechinatas looked a bit different. Thanks guys!

 

[sfsuphysics]

[quote author=LeviTillie link=topic=3112.msg33778#msg33778 date=1203088624]
So what's the difference? This pic is SUPPOSED to be an emerald aussie acan and looks just like Bonnies. Is sub echinata just more specific?

[/quote]
Not trying to sound snotty here, just I haven't had my morning caffine yet
But it's like saying what's the difference between an Acropora Yongei (i.e. "Green Slimer") and Acropora Tortusa ("The Tort!") both at a glance look similar in growth structure, it's when you look closer that you see the differences. "Lords" have more defined polyps like yours shows, where as the sub-echinata like Bonnie's seem to be very poorly defined, only the mouthes give away that there are individual polyps there.

So that's the long answer the short answer is yes, Acan. (sub-echinata) is "more specific" the ones you showed are Acan. (lordhowensis)

 

[LeviT]

Ok, so are all aussie acan's acan lords? I figured there wasn't any reason why an hers couldn't be an acan sub enchinata couldn't be from Australia (I'm making the assumption that's why it's labeled aussie acan). I see the flesh from the polyps joining on both Bonnies pic and the one I found on club zoa. Now go get a rockstar or something and stop whining

 

[sfsuphysics]

[quote author=LeviTillie link=topic=3112.msg33815#msg33815 date=1203095489]
Ok, so are all aussie acan's acan lords?
[/quote]
Probably not. It just seems that way because those are the ones that are getting the play with the super colors.

However looking at the link Norman supplied to the aims database, it seems the sub-echinata do not exist in Australian waters, however the echinata does, but only along the northern coast, and I'm not sure where these corals are being collected, if from the south, it is entirely possible that all "Aussie Acans" are in fact Lords

 

[Ibn]

Pretty much after seeing 100+ colonies of them. I didn't see any thing in the shipment other than lords.

 

[LeviT]

I'm still not seeing any difference in polyp structure. How are your paint skills? Seriously though, once you take into account the angle of the picture I'd say her frag is the same as the emerald acan (insert sub species here )

 

[Natterjak]

Levi, I'll try to take a better picture so you can see the polyp definition - the heads are definitely not as clearly defined as they are on lords.

As for the Aussie stuff - I think Atlantis has some Acan hillea on their site.

I was given this piece last year by Maximus, so I don't know much about it.

 

[LeviT]

Thanks. I can tell that the flesh is much puffier in your pic but I know that can vary depending on how well fed the LPS is.