Is this an Efflo?

[honkit]

Hello fellow SPS lovers,

Is this an an acropora efflorescens?

Thanks!

[cedricang]

Looks like it. But how come your placing is upright ? Their natural growth form is horizontal tabling

[spkentchai]

Nice piece..

[honkit]

Looks like it. But how come your placing is upright ? Their natural growth form is horizontal tabling

Got it identified at chuisui.com the malaysian reef forum - it's an acropora solitaryensis.

I have fragged it into 2 pieces and placed epoxied it the right way i.e. horizontally.

[cedricang]

Got it identified at chuisui.com the malaysian reef forum - it's an acropora solitaryensis.

I have fragged it into 2 pieces and placed epoxied it the right way i.e. horizontally.

Id is not easy especial for similar looking within the same acro family. Mind sharing with us how was this piece id as solitaryensis and not efflo ?

[jellyfisch]

You are correct, the two species are similar, however, A. solitayiensis has strongly fused branching and is rarely a solid plate until quite mature, while A. efflorescens is almost always a solid plate, even smaller specimens except at the edges. Also, the radial corallites of A. efflorescens are smaller and more upright pocket-shaped and barely different from the axials, while the axials are prominent and distinct in A. solitaryensis, and the radials are essentially appressed tubular to pocket shaped (on older parts of the colony).

Hope this helps,

Jamie

[kueytoc]

An informative description useful for identifying such similar acros.

What about the characteristics diffs between Millepora & Prostrata?

You are correct, the two species are similar, however, A. solitayiensis has strongly fused branching and is rarely a solid plate until quite mature, while A. efflorescens is almost always a solid plate, even smaller specimens except at the edges. Also, the radial corallites of A. efflorescens are smaller and more upright pocket-shaped and barely different from the axials, while the axials are prominent and distinct in A. solitaryensis, and the radials are essentially appressed tubular to pocket shaped (on older parts of the colony).

Hope this helps,

Jamie

[honkit]

Id is not easy especial for similar looking within the same acro family. Mind sharing with us how was this piece id as solitaryensis and not efflo ?

The spacing between radial coralites. I have no idea how and what the reference point is and take it as it is from an experienced reefer.

[cedricang]

You are correct, the two species are similar, however, A. solitayiensis has strongly fused branching and is rarely a solid plate until quite mature, while A. efflorescens is almost always a solid plate, even smaller specimens except at the edges. Also, the radial corallites of A. efflorescens are smaller and more upright pocket-shaped and barely different from the axials, while the axials are prominent and distinct in A. solitaryensis, and the radials are essentially appressed tubular to pocket shaped (on older parts of the colony).

Hope this helps,

Jamie

Thanks Jamie for your input. Your comment on "A. efflorescens is almost always a solid plate, even smaller specimens except at the edges." makes it crystal clear on differentiating between the two.

Cheers !

[jellyfisch]

Millepora and prostrata! Where does one start. To be honest, as we typically get only frags, it is not easy. Generally, I do not even try to really seperate them, as the descriptions given by Wallace are different than the descriptions given by Veron! From my own experience, we actually have at least 4 similar corals which vary in 1) branch thickness, 2) radial corallite shape, 3) branching and 4) colony shape. Are they different species or just morphs? No idea, really. When seperating them for my own convienience, I consider the digitate colonies to be millipora and the more corymbose, angular branched colonies to be prostrata or spathulata.

From what reef fotos I have, the A. millipora colonies tend to be true tidal reef colonies, often exposed to the air, while prostrata and spathulata tend to be subtidal, but this is only a brief observation from fotos made by friend on the reef.

I think, in the end, with this group of corals, we just need to accept that there is no final decision as to what is what, at the moment.

Jamie