Coral Id Please

[bang guy]

Anyone know what this is? It was just a Brown coral. I recently moved it up higher and it started turning purple. It has some big polyps and some small polyps.
Magnified about 3X.

 

[nicky1.8t]

a odd one at that

 

[bang guy]

That's most of it. It has encrusted onto a rock and is now starting to grow toward the light.
I'll try to get another pic later.

 

[newbienz]

Edit: Not to sure what that is. The book I have looks similar to that, but I have looked at other places and nothing looks like it.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by skilos1
its almost impossible to guess species of them until they are about 20 years old.
Wow.... So you think it's an Acro of some type. I'll wait 20 years and then ask again

 

[newbienz]

skilos1, you are right it about not being what I thought it was. Lots of things to learn

 

[blk822]

Same colors and look as a tri colored acro I had once.

 

[goatfish]

I have a hitchiker that looks very similar to the yellow polyps but it seems to shy away from the light. I only have PC lighting and it seems to close up if I get it to close to the top.

 

[slks reef]

It does have some of the same colors as a nana. heres a pic's of a nana but that acro looks more encrusting but it also looks like it is starting to branch. Characters: Colonies are compact clumps of long, non-tapering, straight, equidistant branchlets radiating from a solid base. Axial corallites are tubular with rounded margins. Radial corallites are long, tubular and appressed. The whole colony is delicate and branchlets readily break apart. Colour: Cream, blue or purple, usually with purple branch tips.

 

[slks reef]

heres pict.

 

[attml]

Bang Guy,
Here is a pic of new acro I picked up recently but if you look in the background you can see where my Acropora Nana has encrusted and is starting to send out more branches. I am searching to see if I have any better pictures of it. Yours may be the early stages of A. Validia though? A.Horrida is another possibility?

 

[attml]

Here is a little better shot of my Acropora Nana.

 

[bang guy]

Thanks everyone! It's definately not a Monti, the polyps are far too big. I'll let it grow out into something recognizable and try posting again.
Thanks again for all the help.

 

[bang guy]

I think that's it. Wow... you guys are good
Thanks again everyone!

 

[bang guy]

Well, just following up. It's not twenty years later, just one.
The current theory is that it's A. cerealis.