Brain coral?

[pegasus]

I asked about this hitchiker about a year ago, and didn't get a decisive answer. It's gotten a little bigger (4" across), so it's easier to see more detail. I took this picture after lights out, so it's tentacles are extended. I've seen a few pictures of symphyllia wilsoni that look very, very similar to it. It would be awesome if it were so! Any ideas?

 

[pegasus]

Here's a youtube video with some that look like a perfect match... perhaps a little larger. During the daytime, my coral looks just like the first five corals in the video. I don't know if those first five are symphyllia wilsoni, or goniastrea australensis.

 

[pegasus]

Daytime picture. Anyone?

 

[pegasus]

Platygyra lamellina???

 

[spanko]

http://www.arkive.org/brain-coral/platygyra-yaeyamaensis/

Possibly.

 

[pegasus]

Thanks for the reply, spanko. It looks like several different species, so it's hard to nail it down to a specific one. It's fairly young, and it's laying across a ridge in the rock. The mantles aren't joined like a lot of brain corals, but like I said... it's fairly young. It's a beautiful coral, and best of all, it was free! LOL! Perhaps in another year it's pattern will be more defined.

 

[pegasus]

After long deliberation, I think I have finally settled on the right name for this coral. After many hours of extensive searching, the closest thing I can find to it is the Merulina Ampliata. My coral is still small, about 3" across, and the picture is a closeup. The skeletal growth patterns seem to match the M. Ampliata much better than the P. Lamellelina. Here it is again, along with a pic off the internet:

 

[mopardwh]

That is very cool!

 

[pegasus]

Thanks! I think so, too!!!