can anyone identify this

[mattymalcolm]

1018

[MissT]

really hard to tell anything from the picture... are you trying to ID the coral, or is there something on it?

[mattymalcolm]

the coral

[cpreefguy]

given the pic quality, Id say hydnopora?

[MissT]

I had him email me some other pics and to me it looked like a cyphastrea, but hard to tell from the pics

[mattymalcolm]

the guy i got from said it was some kinda christmas something.

[greenmako]

hydnopora

[mattymalcolm]

so is this a sps or a lps

[SoLiD]

Hydnophora exesa
http://www.extremecorals.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/template/hydno_2-07-12-1.jpg

http://www.extremecorals.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/template/hydno_2-07-12-2.jpg


http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20041213165818/www.liveaquaria.com/images/products/bigimage/lg_80443.jpg


so is this a sps or a lps

This coral is kind of in the middle. Some older books and web sites say SPS. Some newer books say LPS. I'd have to say it's an LPS with SPS care requirements such as Lighting and Flow. PLEASE NOTE: All Hydnophora's CAN NOT be kept within close proximity of other corals since they have STINGING Hydnophore Polyps that send out stinging cells which will kill almost anything it touches. HTH -David

[mattymalcolm]

thank you thats what it is. Is this common or pretty rare?

[SoLiD]

Hydnophora It pretty common from what I've seen. There are 3 different types at liveaquaria.com for sale. Hydnophora grandis, Hydnophora sp., & Hydnophora exesa.