Acro id help please

[tailek]

Hello Kevin

I have kept the following three acros for more than 3 years but still unable to find a proper ids for them.

1. A purple tip table acro which have features different from an efflo or a soli . Cluster of smaller branches are starting to grow from within the table.

2. A green stag which has thick branches and fast growth but very little polys extension.

3. A purple tip acro which has changed from a bushy form to a plating shape .

Any suggestions of their ids are appreciated. Thanks

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Regarding the first picture a top down picture would help but you might check Acropora branchi. Like all Acropora they morph in the home aquarium and become almost impossible to identify. Even in the wild the range of growth forms for these type corals is remarkable.

A picture of a single branch would be helpful for the second Acropora and a picture of the whole coral of the third coral.

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[tailek]

Thanks for your prompt response.

As suggested I attach some new pics as follows :-

1 . A close-up portion of the table acro as I have problem getting a full top down shot.

2. A close-up of a branch of the green stag.

3. A full pic of the purple acro taken more than a year ago as it is now difficult to take a full pic due to blocking by other corals.

Hope the above pics are useful for your further id. Cheers.

 

[returnofsid]

tailek, if anyone can help you ID, it'll be Kevin, but I've just gotta say, Beautiful Pictures!!!

 

[Herefishyfishy]

If I was forced to make guesses, here are my shots in order:
A. Tenius, Green bali slimer, A. valida.

 

[fatboyt123]

I have been thinking tri color valida for the last one as well.

 

[tailek]

tailek, if anyone can help you ID, it'll be Kevin, but I've just gotta say, Beautiful Pictures!!!

Thanks for the kind words. Agree Kevin is the right man for this difficult task.

 

[tailek]

If I was forced to make guesses, here are my shots in order:
A. Tenius, Green bali slimer, A. valida.

Thanks.

I have not considered Tenuis for the table acro because of the absence of scale-like radial corallites arranged in a rosette form.

The green stag has a thick irregular body with little radial corallites which is quite different from the tubular branches & many visible radial corallites of a green slimer.

The purple acro looks like a valida but the more rounded tips & branch spacing as shown in the 1st close-up pic differ from the usual bushy form with slightly tapered tips of the valida.

 

[tailek]

I have been thinking tri color valida for the last one as well.

Thanks. I am doubtful if it is a tricolor valida as the green corallites are totally absent in my case.

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Thank you for the additional pictures. I'm more convinced that the first one is Acropora branchi. Note that in COW in the A. efflorescens under similar species it says see "A. branchi".

I'm working on the other two Beautiful corals though.

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[tailek]

Hello,
Thank you for the additional pictures. I'm more convinced that the first one is Acropora branchi. Note that in COW in the A. efflorescens under similar species it says see "A. branchi".

I'm working on the other two Beautiful corals though.

Cheers,
Kevin

Thanks Kevin for pointing me to the right direction. Among the plating acros similar to A. efflo , A branchi with its upright branchlets is quite closely matched my first table acro.

Is there a possibility that the third acro with its flat branches on the upper surface a plating corals similar to A divaricata or A subulata ?

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Do you know where the corals in question were collected?

Regards,
Kevin

 

[tailek]

Hello,
Do you know where the corals in question were collected?

Regards,
Kevin

They are from Indonesian areas.

Cheers

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
From the first photo I thought the third one was A. subulata that is why I asked for a top down picture. Every colony that I have seen when viewed from the top appears that the corallite edges are very dark compared to rest of the coral. In the second photo you posted it didn't appear to be so. There certainly may be some colonies that do not exhibit that coloration I just haven't seen any. A. selago also has the same growth form and contrasting colored polyps like in your first picture but the radial corallites are usually sharper appearing.
I think that A. divaricata is a reasonable guess as any
I have submitted these pictures to some people much more educated that I am without an ID forthcoming.

The green Acropora = I don't have a guess.

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[tailek]

Hello,
From the first photo I thought the third one was A. subulata that is why I asked for a top down picture. Every colony that I have seen when viewed from the top appears that the corallite edges are very dark compared to rest of the coral. In the second photo you posted it didn't appear to be so. There certainly may be some colonies that do not exhibit that coloration I just haven't seen any. A. selago also has the same growth form and contrasting colored polyps like in your first picture but the radial corallites are usually sharper appearing.
I think that A. divaricata is a reasonable guess as any
I have submitted these pictures to some people much more educated that I am without an ID forthcoming.

The green Acropora = I don't have a guess.

Cheers,
Kevin

Thanks Kevin for your in-depth analysis . The different forms that acroporas in cativity take is really amazing. I would appreciate comments from other people if available.

Once again thank you, I really appreciate your time & efforts in helping.

Cheers

 

[Matt@CFI]

picture number two looks like a green Acropora Austera to me.
they all look great!!!

matt

 

[tailek]

picture number two looks like a green Acropora Austera to me.
they all look great!!!

matt

Thanks. My initial guess was also A. Austera . What swayed my thinking is the absence of neat rows of radial corallites .You may be right giving how corals could morph under different environments.

 

[Matt@CFI]

Thanks. My initial guess was also A. Austera . What swayed my thinking is the absence of neat rows of radial corallites .You may be right giving how corals could morph under different environments.

I have a coral that is very similar to that one, it almost looks like a morph between A. Austera and A. Tortusa...

Matt

 

[kevinpo]

Hmm,
My friend Jake also suggested A. austera but I disagree (doesn't mean its not ).
A. austera typically has radial corallites that are short and rounded. Also typical are contrasting shade (but same color) coral polyps that are pretty noticeable. While certainly possible (especially under low flow conditions) I have never seen elongated radial corallites on A. austera like shown in your pictures. In the US I've only seen it in cream, brown and most often blue coloration. In COW pg. 251 plate #5 shows the very typical growth form I've seen.
I would lean more towards A. tortuosa than A. austera.

Regards,
Kevin
PS:I will see if I can dig up some of my photos of A. austera grown in captive environment.

PPS: To be sure many Acropora corals will morph into completely different growth forms in the home aquarium even at different ages from frag to colony in the same aquarium.

 

[kevinpo]

The first one is A. austera from 2002.
I will try to find a few more.
The second one is A. tortuosa from 2003.

Cheers,
Kevin