Zoas or Favia!

[FireEater]

I picked these up a few weeks ago. They are bright neon green and I'm wondering if they are Zoanthids or a type of Favia.

As you can see in pic one they grow a skeleton like a Favia. You can see where they had died off in the dark area.

Then in pic two they polyp out like Zoanthids.

[scubadude]

If it has a skeleton, then its probably a favia or monastrea

[FireEater]

After researching all the possibilities I believe it might be a Turbinaria species variety. Possibly the Turbinaria Peltata (turban coral). All of the Favia and Monastrea varieties have interconnecting pieces that do not polyp out with small Zoa like tentacles.

I have not seen a Turbinaria so bright fluorescent green before. Also, being just a frag piece I will have to wait to see it's growth pattern.

The main thing that is throwing me off is the skeleton. It does not have the look of the Turbinaria, but the look of a Favia.

Turbinaria skeleton

[zhenya]

Mark,

Can you take a closer shot of the coral with polyps extended, and if it's not too much trouble, can you take a shot of the dead part using flash?
In your first image I can;t quite make out the section of dead skeleton and live polyps interface.
Or, can you email me full resolution images? I would like to play with them in Photoshop and see if I can make those parts more visible. ;)

[FireEater]

I'm on it!

[Reefland]

To take it another direction (and my eye sight isn't good at all) but is this a Goniopora that is on it's last leg, or was on it's last leg and it trying to recoup? Can't really tell if the skeleton is a ball shape or not...

[zhenya]

To take it another direction (and my eye sight isn't good at all) but is this a Goniopora that is on it's last leg, or was on it's last leg and it trying to recoup? Can't really tell if the skeleton is a ball shape or not...

Scott, it is a distinct possibility but hard to tell with the smaller pictures. Good call, though.

[Reefland]

Yeah kind of hard to tell.

Warning - Off Topic
Hey, did you get my PM the other night? Let me know if you need anything.

[zhenya]

Yeah kind of hard to tell.

Warning - Off Topic
Hey, did you get my PM the other night? Let me know if you need anything.

Yes, I got it, just never had a chance to reply with anything smart to say.
I sure will let you know when time comes. ;)

Sorry for distractions, Mark.

[west]

looks like a gonipora to me too

[FireEater]

Well I hope these help. If not I will take them in a larger resolution and size.

This was a frag piece I got from the LFS for five bucks from the frag tank. It was with all the zoa frags so I assumed at the time it was a zoa.

Then when I got it home and looked at it closely I knew it wasn't a zoa. The skeleton on it is kinda round. It is one inch by one inch.

I believe Scott is probably right about it being a Goniopora (Flower Pot) or at least a frag of it.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen this beauty on sale and described as a Goniopora, and identification could not be more simple. Just count the tentacles which surround the polyp, if you count 12 then it's an Alveopora, if there is 24 then it's a Goniopora.

I hate to see it waste away, though they do seem to be surviving more in our systems these days. Like I said before, it looked just like some colorful zoas when I picked it up.

Goniopora Fragmentation

[west]

goniopora also has 24 tentacles on it roughly

[zhenya]

goniopora also has 24 tentacles on it roughly

Not roughly, it has exactly 24 tentacles as oposed to 12 of alveopora species.

Anyways, I think it is a Goniopora coral that was left for dead, I hope it will bounce back in your tank, Mark. ;)

[west]

exactly then lol