When we get corals through the regular distribution channels, we are at the mercy of the coral collectors in Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean as to what corals they collect, and most often these will be known species that are…
Search Results For: Green Star Polyp
Observations on unusually colored Acropora in the Flores Sea
During the Fluval Sea Flores Expedition we came across a couple of specimens of unusual, bicolored Acropora colonies. It’s always surprising to meet with a single coral harboring two very different color patterns throughout the colony. We don’t exactly know the correct…
Good at Gardening? Try Reefkeeping!
Having once worked in the nursery and landscaping business, it often occurs to me that there are a surprising number of similarities between terrestrial gardening/landscaping and reefkeeping. I would even suggest that, in some ways, reefkeeping has more in common…
Three Old School corals that are still really cool to grow
There are many SPS corals available to the eager advanced hobbyist today. Far more than we ever had 10 years ago. I remember when the reef community was a much smaller one, a lot like a small town where everyone…
Why You Should Never, Ever Release Marine Aquarium Livestock into the Wild
In a perfect world, every fish, invertebrate, or alga introduced to a marine aquarium would be allowed to live out its entire lifespan there. But as we all know, there are many contingencies that can make it necessary for hobbyists…
Why Did My Pulse Corals Stop Pulsing?
Pulse corals (e.g., Xenia and Heteroxenia spp.) are among the more enigmatic sessile invertebrates. Many hobbyists and non-hobbyists alike find their rhythmic, hypnotic pulsing behavior fascinating and relaxing to observe, but precisely why they pulse the way they do has…
Dampia pocilloporaeformis is a soft coral that prefers the company of SPS
Dampia is a very unique soft coral which has held a very special place in our hearts since the first time we ever saw one. There is only one species in the genus, Dampia pocilloporaeformis, which as its name implies,…
Zoanthids vs Palythoa Identification
Over the years, we’ve seen hundreds of different Palys and Zoas. In that same time, there were varieties we confidently called Palythoa and others Zoanthids. For example, I can easily point to a Palythoa grandis and say for sure that…
Zoanthids: Tough as Nails but Powerfully Potent
They belong to genera with names like Zoanthus, Parazoanthus, and Palythoa. They’re sometimes called sea mats, button polyps, or colonial anemones. Reef hobbyists commonly refer to them as “zoas.” Whatever name you apply to them, the zoanthids (family Zoanthidae) enjoy…
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi: Practically Perfect Open Brain Coral
“Open brain coral” is a common name applied to a wide variety of coral species belonging to several different genera. But if you ask my opinion (well, even if you don’t, I’m going to offer it anyway), Trachyphyllia geoffroyi is…
