3 SPS pics...Need ID Plez

**scubadude** · 06-20-2001, 02:07 PM

Ok...topic says it all...I just got these frags they are Fiji cultured frags

I already know the ID on the 2 montipora capricornis :P and the clam :P

PerryinCA · 06-20-2001, 03:46 PM

The second one is commonly called a A. millepora, but most of them are other species that look similar. Differentiating is near impossible unless you have a trained eye, and examination method.

The Last looks like an A. Chesterfieldensis, once again as it is commonly referred to in the hobby. Same as the last, the correct ID is tough.

The first looks like it may be an A humulis....but hard to tell from that pic, and ::surprise:: that ID would be tentative even with a perfect picture.

-Perry

SueT · 06-20-2001, 04:21 PM

scubadude, I agree with Perry, that id'ing sps is a very hard thing to do, but you can look for characteristics that are similar to some species of sps. For that reason I agree with Perry on the second and third pics, but on the first I think it may be an acropora gemmifera. I say that because in acropora humilis the tips are a more rounded not tapered like in your pic. The second pic would be easier to tell if it is a acropora millepora if the polyps were extended although the corallite edges do seem to be a millepora. The chesterfieldensis does seem to be a chester. Nice frags BTW!!! HTH..

check out my 120 sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members

**scubadude** · 06-20-2001, 04:24 PM

Thank you very much Perry and Sue....thats just the kind of information I need

any others willing to give input would be appreciated

reptilicus · 06-20-2001, 08:11 PM

scubadude,
obviously most people realise that has Perry pointed out most Acropora are very hard to identify. What things are identified as in aquariums usually aren't what they really are, and often the coral has changed so much under aquarium conditions that it doesn't look anything like the original coral anyway.
I get my corals direct ordered from the GBR, from a marine biologist up there who is currently doing his PhD on corals. Even he has terrible trouble picking species. When I order from him, I order a "blue tipped corymbose Acropora frag", not any particular species.
However, if you want to take some pictures of the colonies a bit closer up and then some real close-ups of the corallite strucutre, I may be able to help. I have a CD-Rom entitled "Staghorn Corals of the World: A Key to the Genus Acropora" by Dr Carden Wallace, the world's leading authority on Acros. This is an ID key which lets you identify a specimen via a process of elimination using certain "characters" ie corallite structure, branch structure etc.
Very useful indeed. If you can take some good pics, I may be able to help you out.
Regards,
Tom

reptilicus · 06-20-2001, 08:14 PM

BTW, I agree with the tentative ID given by the others, A. humilis, A. millepora and A. chesterfieldiensis.
However, I must note here that Acropora millepora is a fairly distinctive species, I think most of the stuff sold in the US as A. millepora is in fact that species. There are very few species it can get confused with, A. aspera is one, although it has two sizes of corallites whereas A. millepora is completely uniform in corallite structure.
Regards,
Tom

SueT · 06-20-2001, 08:31 PM

Tom, I totally agree with you and think I said, I agreed with Perry that absoulte iding of sps corals is a crap shoot{my words}. I know that to correctly id them you must have a fairly nice size skeleton and someone who can do the iding. I agree that characteristics of certain species ie. acropora millepora have tell tale signs you can be maybe 75% sure about. I also have acropora aspera and don't think they look that much alike myself. The polyps are much thicker than millepora polyps.

check out my 120 sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members

06-20-2001, 02:07 PM	#1
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,291	3 SPS pics...Need ID Plez Ok...topic says it all...I just got these frags they are Fiji cultured frags I already know the ID on the 2 montipora capricornis :P and the clam :P __________________ Rocky

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06-20-2001, 03:46 PM	#2
PerryinCA Governor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Folsom, CA Posts: 2,103	The second one is commonly called a A. millepora, but most of them are other species that look similar. Differentiating is near impossible unless you have a trained eye, and examination method. The Last looks like an A. Chesterfieldensis, once again as it is commonly referred to in the hobby. Same as the last, the correct ID is tough. The first looks like it may be an A humulis....but hard to tell from that pic, and ::surprise:: that ID would be tentative even with a perfect picture. -Perry

06-20-2001, 04:21 PM	#3
SueT Mayor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Houston,Tex. USA Posts: 544	scubadude, I agree with Perry, that id'ing sps is a very hard thing to do, but you can look for characteristics that are similar to some species of sps. For that reason I agree with Perry on the second and third pics, but on the first I think it may be an acropora gemmifera. I say that because in acropora humilis the tips are a more rounded not tapered like in your pic. The second pic would be easier to tell if it is a acropora millepora if the polyps were extended although the corallite edges do seem to be a millepora. The chesterfieldensis does seem to be a chester. Nice frags BTW!!! HTH.. check out my 120 sps tank: http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html www.marshreef.org/members

06-20-2001, 04:24 PM	#4
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,291	Thank you very much Perry and Sue....thats just the kind of information I need any others willing to give input would be appreciated

06-20-2001, 08:11 PM	#5
reptilicus Tenant Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 72	scubadude, obviously most people realise that has Perry pointed out most Acropora are very hard to identify. What things are identified as in aquariums usually aren't what they really are, and often the coral has changed so much under aquarium conditions that it doesn't look anything like the original coral anyway. I get my corals direct ordered from the GBR, from a marine biologist up there who is currently doing his PhD on corals. Even he has terrible trouble picking species. When I order from him, I order a "blue tipped corymbose Acropora frag", not any particular species. However, if you want to take some pictures of the colonies a bit closer up and then some real close-ups of the corallite strucutre, I may be able to help. I have a CD-Rom entitled "Staghorn Corals of the World: A Key to the Genus Acropora" by Dr Carden Wallace, the world's leading authority on Acros. This is an ID key which lets you identify a specimen via a process of elimination using certain "characters" ie corallite structure, branch structure etc. Very useful indeed. If you can take some good pics, I may be able to help you out. Regards, Tom

06-20-2001, 08:14 PM	#6
reptilicus Tenant Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 72	BTW, I agree with the tentative ID given by the others, A. humilis, A. millepora and A. chesterfieldiensis. However, I must note here that Acropora millepora is a fairly distinctive species, I think most of the stuff sold in the US as A. millepora is in fact that species. There are very few species it can get confused with, A. aspera is one, although it has two sizes of corallites whereas A. millepora is completely uniform in corallite structure. Regards, Tom

06-20-2001, 08:31 PM	#7
SueT Mayor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Houston,Tex. USA Posts: 544	Tom, I totally agree with you and think I said, I agreed with Perry that absoulte iding of sps corals is a crap shoot{my words}. I know that to correctly id them you must have a fairly nice size skeleton and someone who can do the iding. I agree that characteristics of certain species ie. acropora millepora have tell tale signs you can be maybe 75% sure about. I also have acropora aspera and don't think they look that much alike myself. The polyps are much thicker than millepora polyps. check out my 120 sps tank: http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html www.marshreef.org/members

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