can someone tell me what this is?

[jessinator752]

i got this rock and it has something growing on it but i have no idea what it is or what it's worth. any ideas? it's the color of coraline, but i don't think that's what it is. thanks! jessica

[crossxfire2]

I thinik I saw that growing on some rocks at the LFS today. How fast is it growing? If its' growing unusually fast, and growing over corraline, I would be concerned, but don't quote me on that.

[MissT]

cant really tell from the pictures... is it mushy or hard? Could possibly be the mat that GSP have... maybe an encrusting monti or something... I'm not sure.

[apedroza]

Might be a type of sponge

[beareef19]

It could be pink star polyps, I had some like that before. Sometimes it takes awhile before they start to come out in a new tank because of the different water peramiters.
Barry

[jessinator752]

it is not fast growing. i've had it for some time and haven't noticed it spreading at all. it is hard, but i can break it off the rock. it doesn't feel soft like the gps mat would be. i don't think it's sponge. there is a lot of yellow sponge on the back side of the rock, and i have some pink sponge on some other rocks, but this is more brownish purple in color.

[blueboy]

looks like pink star polyps to me, give them a little while, and they'll start opening up.

[jessinator752]

if they were pink star polyps wouldn't there be little bumps on the surface where the polyps would be? this is a flat, smooth surface.

[Fin-Addict]

There is a type of encrusting gorgonian that will mat up like that , however if its covered by brown diatoms it will not open . Try a lite cleaning with a toothbrush , and look for tiny lite colored circles ,if circles are found and diatoms stay off it ,you should see some polyps soon. This gorgonian sticks well to the rock and is tougher in texture than GSP .

[jessinator752]

aren't gorgonian's part of the sponge family. so if in fact that is what it is i killed it when i took it out of the tank to take it's picture. of course the person i bought it from also took it out of the tank and into the air when he put it in the container. i bought a package lot of different corals a few months ago from someone taking down his tank. he didn't know what half the stuff was. i was able to identify most all of them, but i'm stumped on this one. i have someone interested in buying it, but since i can't identify it i'm not sure what to price it at.

[Fin-Addict]

When sponge dies it smells pretty bad, this type of gorgonian im speaking of is hard to kill. Does the piece smell? Can you see any circles ? 20 sounds good if its what I think it is .

[scubaryan]

looks like a dead christmas tree rock, maybe? compare pics on the internet and see!!!

[engwife36]

.............................................

[jessinator752]

it could be a christmas tree rock, but i don't see any of the little worms on it like in the pictures.

[Fin-Addict]

Its not christmas tree rock. I looked at the first picture closely the way it looks shiney is the same as the other gorgonian i've goten. christmas tree rock is a stoney coral "porites" not a fleshy material on a rock.

[jessinator752]

ok, thank you for helping me identify it!