ID this coral please

[Europhyllia]

I got this little donut guy from Sherry and I like him because he's just so healthy and puffy and always hungry. You can feed him day and night and he'll just eat anything.

Anybody got an idea of what it is? We were thinking some lobo like creature but I just looked at joel's acans. Could it be an Acan or is it too puffy/round for that?

http://www.DominoPads.com/SherrysDonut.jpg

[dmweise]

Looks like an acan or a blastoma.

[justahobby]

meat coral
Acanthophyllia deshayesiana

[txav8r]

X2 on the meat coral.

[Mr Cob]

I got one from Sherry too. Mine has 3 heads...I don't this is a Meat Coral.

I think it's blastomussa.. AKA Blastos. BUT...I have blasto merletti and they grow close together and the skeleton is not elongated.

This is what I think this coral is:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+2790+2669&pcatid=2669

pic from Live Aquaria
http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/product/p-47701-blasto.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:popupWin1('/product/detailed_image.cfm?pCatId=2669', 50, 50, 596, 616))

My 3 heads have a skeleton for each like large candy cane heads. Sherry called it a lobo...but lobos are like brains and this is not like a brain.


Additional thoughts?

[Kristy]

I was also thinking meat coral, but info on the skeleton would definitely help us differentiate. The other thing would be scale... what is the diameter of this guy? If it's a blasto, would be less than an inch across, probably more like 1/2 inch or so, with a calcified skeleton that sort of cups the fleshy part, and it can withdraw into the skeleton if greatly irritated. Anything larger than an inch and I'd say meat coral for sure. Also, if the calcified part is just a flat disk that it is attached to, then that would be more like a meat coral.

[Mr Cob]

Well, I have three heads of it and Karin just has one head which gives the impression that it's much larger. My heads are about the size of a bottle cap and each has it's own skeleton. I'll snap a pic later tonight before I add it to the main display. I have it in a small biocube to inspect for pests.

[justahobby]

Yeah I was under the impression it was near fist sized. Sounds like the red blastos at reefs2u with red heads and big stalks. Wellsi vs. merleti

[Mr Cob]

I agree.

[Europhyllia]

Yes I think it's just a tad larger than an inch but it also doesn't look anything like my blasto I got from reefs2u. The skeleton to me appears much like that of a lobo.
I haven't stressed it enough to see how far it can retreat though.
And it appears to be completely round unlike a lobo.

[profntbtr]

i would say cynarina lacrymalis (80% sure) also known as owl eye, or meat, or tooth coral

[justahobby]

Good idea prof.

This is great. We should play "Guess that Coral" every Friday.

[Europhyllia]

I think Sherry got them from Pacific East. Maybe they can ID it for us :)

[snfkotara]

They are doughnut coral which is a form or family of the lobo. I bought them as lobos. And yes they love to eat meaty foods and they will win if put too close to acans. But Chalice will win with all coral that I know of. Wow I really did take a chalice to be so aggressive.

[Europhyllia]

Thanks everybody and especially Sherry :)
cynarina lacrymalis aka doghnut coral would be awesome. Look what I found (I just like to ID so I know how to take good care of each coral):


The extent to which the coral expands its tentacles is a good bio-indicator as to your tanks overall water parameter level. If the polyps extend during the day for the most part and extend fully, then your water is close to ideal for the most part.


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/508775/cynarina_button_cats_eye_or_doughnut_pg2.html?cat= 10

Makes me feel good. This little guy is out almost all the time :)

[phippsj]

Somebody please help me out... I bought something similiar which I was told was a scolymia (or are all these just different scoly names?). I LOVED it... until it died overnight. :(

[Europhyllia]

I think scolymia is similar but different. Eek. I hope my little chubby one doesn't die. :(