ID this coral!!!....(this one might be difficult)

[Patwa]

so.....a good friend of mine was telling me about a nepthea soft coral he had....of course that got my attention as I already have that Green Tree Nepthea in my tank (the one that has caused a lot of hoopla cuz they say it's extinct in the wild....blah blah blah)....i'll hopefully be getting a frag of it in a week or two *fingers crossed*

anyways...he said it was a purple nepthea...and from the pic it sorta looks like it, but then again it does not (when compared to my green nepthea)....his colleagues are also sure it's a purple nepthea (they're a coral savvy bunch, i hear)

just wondering if any of you AP wizards can ID it for me......i need concensus! hahah

FYI, it is not a carnation coral (dendronephthyea)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g237/Patwa2/Purple.jpg

zach

[Reef Raft]

looks to me it's carnation coral (dendronephtea sp.) also known as cauliflower. If not, it could be Lemnalia or Scleronephtea.

[ajx22]

Same to me Zach...looks to be Dendronephthya sp.

Almost:
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=910111


The polyps just don't seem right to be Nepthea sp

**JMHO - as I'm definitely NOT an expert in the recognition of specific coral species.

[NanoReefaholic]

Purple Dendronephthya (http://www.photographersdirect.com/papilio/stockphoto.asp?imageid=622912&sourceid=11101)

[Sea MunnKey]

Zach,

Close up view of my Tonga Pink Dendronephthyn...see for yourself...:D
By the way it's still alive and kickin'..opens up even with the lights on as well!! This fine specimen was pickd up from NAFB last Tonga shipment.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/1/medium/CarnL.jpg
Close up view

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/1/medium/CarnAll.jpg
Full view

Oh...your soon-to-be-yours specimen could be from Indo and they are a lot smaller than the Tonga's. Indo's come in dull Pink, Purple and Orange. I'm hoping to get an Orange from Tonga in the near future.

[Patwa]

the pic I posted is from Janine's tank....she's got the mother colony...my buddy and his friends (who work at Polyplab – they know a thing or two about coral identification, I assume) are convinced it is not a carnation coral (as per PaulChi's dendro).

they had it in a tank in their lab for over 7 months with no feedings....and he says the polyps seemed to react to the lighting periods...therefore, there is some sort of photosynthesis happening....right?

the reason i don't think it is common carnation coral is b/c of the shape of the coral....the fingers look similar to a sinularia …..the common carnation coral has a thick, robust stalk...……this coral does not fit the regular carnation coral profile at all......maybe another type of dendro? (see AJ's pic)<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
but yeah….it might be some other type of dendronephthea that is not common in the reef trade...i’m still looking forward to getting a frag of it though!

[NanoReefaholic]

Not 100% but, it looks very close to the Purple Dendronephthya (http://www.photographersdirect.com/papilio/stockphoto.asp?imageid=622912&sourceid=11101) picture in the link I posted;

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l70/NanoReefaholic/P-COL008-47.jpg

Obviously because of the black background this picture was taken during low light. During full illumination it should appear identical to the picture you posted.

[Sea MunnKey]

Not 100% but, it looks very close to the Purple Dendronephthya (http://www.photographersdirect.com/papilio/stockphoto.asp?imageid=622912&sourceid=11101) picture in the link I posted;



It sure does look like something from the previous NAFB Indo shipment...it was Purple and JOHN said that it wasn't a Carnation and that it was hardy. Long and slim looking...

[mr.wilson]

It looks like a Neospongoides sp. to me (also known as Scleronepthea & Lemnalia). They are partially photosynthetic and subsequently easier to keep than dendronephthya.

http://www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/de/83/1872/Lemnalia/sp..htm

The orange variety is on the front cover of one of the Peter Wilkens books (Invertebrates Tube, soft & branching corals). It has has similar spicules to that of dendronephthya, but the polyps are less rod-like.

[vaporize]

is this 'rare'?

[Sea MunnKey]

It looks like a Neospongoides sp. to me (also known as Scleronepthea & Lemnalia). They are partially photosynthetic and subsequently easier to keep than dendronephthya.

http://www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/de/83/1872/Lemnalia/sp..htm



Yep Mr. Wilson,
After viewing the above mentioned site, I am positively sure it was the same species that NAFB got in from the Indo region..
:bravo:
And I am hoping JOHN will get some of this species for his next shipment...:iagree:

Paul

[Sea MunnKey]

Hey Zach,

Thought I'd show you my Sun Coral.....

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/1/medium/OrgSun1.jpg
Now you see 'em...

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/photopost/data/1/medium/OrgSun2.jpg
now you don't...feed me, feed me :D !!

[NanoReefaholic]

Good Job Mr. Wilson. Although it does look like the pic I posted, mine is nonphotosynthetic so it couldn't be it. Too bad the link you posted wasn't in english =P

[NanoReefaholic]

Here's a link over at GARF (http://www.garf.org/1armci/dendro.html) about the Nephtheidae family.

[mr.wilson]

You have to give Reef Raft credit as well. They mentioned the possibility.

It's hard to identify a coral under aquarium conditions. Polyp extension and colour is altered due to stress, water quality and nutrition (or lack there of).

There are so many neospongoides and lemnalia misidentified as dendronephthya out there that you don't know who to trust. Even when they get it right, they often misspell them as "neospongodes". Too bad they don't have rep points on all sites.

I was wrong about the picture on the front of the Wilkens book. It is dendronephthya. I hope I don't lose rep points over it.

Garf seems to know the difference, but other than them, you have to to a European site to find accurate information.

Reef central has a big thread on dendronephthya with a few pictures of what looks like neospongoides/lemnalia/scleronepthya to me.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=524097

[Sea MunnKey]

Zach...I lucked out on this Coral on Boxing Day Sale @ BA Scarborough and yes...it's the Lemnalia species as stated by BA themselves!! They wrote down the name and I went home to check whether this species was Hardy or Photsynthetic and by the time I went back ...dang it was sold!!
Stoopid me...it's different from the one I p/u'd from RR recently 'cuz it has tiny Yellow polyps whereas the Lemnalia has White polyps.

Paul

[Patwa]

hehehe...no worries...when mine grows out i'll frag it for you......but, didn't NAFB have this? i'm sure I saw it recently.

Zach

[Sea MunnKey]

hehehe...no worries...when mine grows out i'll frag it for you......but, didn't NAFB have this? i'm sure I saw it recently.

Zach

I missed that last shipment (what's new eh? :hihi: )...I've seen it before and they were pretty Big..same colour morphs. Next time I'll have to feel it to figure out if it's the same rough and tough texture...
I'm hoping to p/u the "Palau Green Nepthea" again...in about two days from now....

Paul

[Patwa]

I missed that last shipment (what's new eh? :hihi: )...I've seen it before and they were pretty Big..same colour morphs. Next time I'll have to feel it to figure out if it's the same rough and tough texture...
I'm hoping to p/u the "Palau Green Nepthea" again...in about two days from now....

Paul

ahh the Palau Nepthea :).....where you getting this from? ...i've got a nice colony of a green nepthea (got it from Dayne with lineage from Carl) ...but i dunno if it's the actual one (formerly) from Palau waters.....i spoke with Archie briefly, and he mentioned only one local reefer who had a colony that he believed was the real "Palau" nepthea....

ORG and Aquarium Depot both claim to have/had the Palau nepthea....but they're both different! ORG's has a more bright lime/pastel colour, while Dee's is VERY electric neon green.

oh well....definitely one of my favourite corals! when you get yours, frag it up i want a piece :)

Zach.

[Sea MunnKey]

ahh the Palau Nepthea :).....where you getting this from?
.. only one local reefer who had a colony that he believed was the real "Palau" nepthea....

ORG and Aquarium Depot both claim to have/had the Palau nepthea....but they're both different! ORG's has a more bright lime/pastel colour, while Dee's is VERY electric neon green.

oh well....definitely one of my favourite corals! when you get yours, frag it up i want a piece :)

Zach.

I'm getting this from my "Watermelon" dude...

Do you know THAT (elusive) local Reefer of the Real "Palau" Nephthea??

I gotta check out Dee's Nephthea..and I can tell you whether if my "Source" is better in colouration!!

Edit: Thought I saw a Nephthea frag at RR recently...nice colours...well..T5's lighting are awesome for coral colouration!!
Paul