Encrusting Coral ID Please

[indyws6]

Greetings

Can someone help identify this? It was on the piece of live rock when I got it and I assumed it was just a coral skeleton. The polyps are so small that they are nearly impossible to see, but it's obvious now that it is alive and growing - it has spread about 3/8 inch in all directions over the last 5 months, based on comparisons to older tank photos. Thanks in advance....

 

[indyws6]

Anyone? Please?

 

[groupergenius]

Porites maybe?

 

[indyws6]

GROUPERGENIUS - Greetings

Possibly, I'm not familiar with Porites - does anyone else have an idea? The polyps are white, almost translucent, and very small - about the size of the head of a pin.
Thanks!

 

[saltn00b]

my first thought was porites too. do some searches on it.

 

[groupergenius]

Indy, check this link. These are porites.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/porites.htm

 

[indyws6]

SALTN00B - Greetings

I did a search, but the information I found shows the Porites as a coral that builds it's own skeleton, not something that encrusts the surface of other objects. I also didn't find anything that looked very similar, although that is no guarantee. The difference between a coral skeleton and the way that this is encrusting on a piece of live rock make me question if it might be something else. Thanks for the suggestions...
Any others?

 

[trippkid]

I will have to agree that is a variety of Porites, it can be encrusting at the same time it is building its skeleton. Here are two pics of what is in my tank. First is more of an encrusting type(far left, middle, beside Pocillipora, under encrusting Monti).

Second one is of a more branching type(very green, and multiple branches).

, hope this helps some.
It could possibly be an encrusting Montipora, if not a Porites. Looks very much like Porites sp.

Matt

 

[indyws6]

All - thanks for the information. Kind of cool that it survived the rough treatment. I didn't know it was there until I rearranged the rock after the tank cycled...