Purple Blue Xenia

[Fragguy]

Hi Anthony,

I have come across a color morph of Xenia that I have not seen before; it looks like a Red Sea (Xenia Umbellata) but a bit more feathery. Its color is a purple blue mix. I have included the regular Red Sea form as well as X. elongata in this composite picture so that you can see the color contrasts between the three. The corals in the picture are under VHO 50/50 mix. I have not altered the picture not even to make it lighter since it is a bit dark.

Have you see this color morph before?

Thanks.

Rafael

 

[shallowreef]

Thats awesome!!

I would let that grow like crazy and make a fortune off of selling it! I 've never seen blue before. thats really cool!!

 

[Fragguy]

Thats awesome!!

I would let that grow like crazy and make a fortune off of selling it! I 've never seen blue before. thats really cool!!

Just watching the color for now (It has developed into a richer purple under VHOs) and trying to contain my excitement, but I think it is a very unique color morph. I have done quite a bit of research online and on printed material and have not seen it. What I have seen called blue xenia(Not counting Blue Cespitularia) is not even close.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

its a beutiful coral... but not uncommon. Simply grown under blue-weighted spectra

The species by nature occurs in ankle deep water (read: very warm daylight). When its found deeper or when its grown under the (unnaturally) blue-weighted aquarium lamps (especially the fluorescents)... they take a purple and/or blue tone. Proteins to reflect light.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Over 100 new species were just discovered in some God forsaken place on French Frigate Shoals off the far end of Hawaii

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-10/coml-ns103006.php

 

[VHO Guy]

You can put most corals under different types of lighting as well as different color spectrums of lighting and they will have a different color appearance. And unfortunately most of the time when the color looks best the coral will not grow as fast and visa versa.

 

[Fragguy]

Anthony,

Thanks for your quick response.

Forgive me but I'm not clear on what you are saying though. Are you saying that it is a variant of the common umbellata that turns blue when grown under VHOs? Or are you saying that it's a different but common species that turns blue under bluer light?

Have you published anything or know of any publication online or in print that refers to this coral? Just trying to find if it's been reported before and if so confirm that it's the same coral.

I know that you are very busy so I understand if you can't respond right away.

Thanks again.

Rafael

 

[Fragguy]

VHO Guy,

Very true, but I have never been able to turn white/cream color umbellata into blue or purple. Not even close. And I have been growing it for a good 10 or 12 years now under HOs, VHOs, PCs and Halides with most of the different color temp bulbs.

Rafael

 

[VHO Guy]

Rafael, so you are saying when growing this Xenia under different lighting at the same time you do not see a variant in color?

If done at different times it would be hard to tell the color change because it is not immediate but gradual.

One of the many corals I propagate are green centered cloves. And I curently am doing this under
250 watt 20k hamiltons
4 4' overdriven T-5s 2 GE 6700k bulbs and 2 actinics (forgot the brand)
6 6' URI VHOs 3 actinic, 2 actinic white, + 1 aquasun

And needless to say not only are their colors different, there polyp size is different at well. I am not saying what your Xenia is or is not, but just sharing my experience with corals under different lighting.

I would love to buy some frags from you and place them in different tanks and report my findings to the board.

Best Regards, Jack

 

[Fragguy]

Jack,

No, what I am saying is that I have the regular Red Sea Xenia as well as elongata and what I call Fiji Pom Pom (larger white with golden pinule xenia) in my care for many years under different lighting and none have ever shown any hint of blue or purple. But in the case of this Xenia which was a light grey with some blue tint on it when I purchased it; has turned a bluer/purple color in almost a week now, which is the total time I have had it.

Rafael

 

[VHO Guy]

Rafael look at what you just said. You bought a coral, put it under different lighting and it changed color. All I am saying is that could have happened. I am not a Xenia expert nor a coral expert like Anthony.

You might want to PM my buddy reeferjerm, here is a couple of pics of some of the Xenia he propagates.

 

[Fragguy]

Like I said to you in my earlier post, I do agree that color can intesify and change when given different lighting. It happens all the time when we get a brown acro and turn it intense purple. This is possible because the coral may not have been given the proper care (lighting, water parameters...)

My observation here is that I can't turn any other Xenia blue or purple that I have gotten my hands on and grown under all the different lights that I have put them under, but with this coral that has not been the case. It was already blueish and it has only intensified to a bluer purple.

Your buddy's xenia is the same as one of the species that I have. I have seen it called blue, pink and purple but it's nowhere near the color of this new Xenia (under the same lights.)

Thanks, I will contact him to see if he has seen anything like this coral.

Rafael

 

[VHO Guy]

Like I said, let me run some tests of my own

 

[Fragguy]

Like I said, let me run some tests of my own

I hear you, but I have no plans of distributing any of it at the moment until I can verify its final color under my lights. It would be nice to know its natural distribution as well, but I'm not too hopeful on that one. The stores and wholesalers are useless for the most part when it comes to that and I have not been able to find anything in the literature or web.

Thanks.

Rafael

 

[Fragguy]

Here is a close up and better detail on this coral.

Rafael

 

[jakleen]

i know you are not distributing this beautiful coral... [and we are not buying/selling frags or soliciting others members in this forum... post edited. Just one warning. Please be considerate. A.C.]. jakleen

 

[Anthony Calfo]

I'm sorry... it still just look slike an umbellata variety. We see them on reef after reef. And in aquarium after aquarium. They are beautiful... and they vary in color. Aquarists have dreamed of finding new species in their aquarium since... well, aquarium keeping nearly began Rarely is it so.

 

[JasonD]

Does it Pulse? It almost looks like Anthelia.

 

[redsonja]

Here is a close up and better detail on this coral.

Rafael

The closeup picture looks a lot like a small piece of something I have had for over a year in my tank, in regards to polyp shape and distribution. It was given to me at the 2005 annual MASC meeting at NC State. I don't remember who gave it to me, just that it was handed to me with the comment "Here's something different for you." From the little bit of research I've done, I *think* it's Heteroxenia but that's a wild uneducated guess. Mine isn't that color but it is sort of purplish-gray under 250W DE MH. It pulses but not nearly as much as the Red Sea Xenia that's trying to take over our 100g stock tank.

It's pretty, whatever it is and whatever causes the color.

-Sonja

 

[Fragguy]

I don't anticipate that it is a "New" species but possibly a different color morph of the cream/white umbellata. The shape, size, pulsing action...seems very much the same as A. umbellata. I have them side by side to make it easier to compare.

It's been in my system for a few months now, under the same conditions as the regular colored umbellata and the color has not changed into the same cream/white color of umbellata, which is what I would have expected if it had been the same color morph.

Right now it's under VHOs, but I will be moving some under MH to see if any color changes occur.

Rafael