Identifying SPS, LPS & Softies

metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
Is there an easy way to ID the different types of corals? For example just looking at a Frogspawn, I would think it is a soft coral, but it appears to be an LPS by its placement in this forum. I guess what I am asking is if you didn't know the name of a coral is there a way that you can tell if it is a SPS, LPS or Soft Coral just by handling it or examining it?
Thanks, Steve
 
coraljunkie

coraljunkie

Member
Well the best way to tell is if it has a hard skeletal structure or not. If it does and has large polyps them it would be and LPS, small polyps would be a SPS and soft corals do not have an hard skeletal structure
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Well, an SPS is easy. It usually looks like a skeleton with tissue tightly pulled of=ver it, and the polyps, well, you need your reading glasses to see.
LPS's you sometimes cannot just tell by looking at it. A long tentacle plate can easily be mis ID'ed as an anemone. Some LPS's, you just hafta ask.
Softies, of course have no skeleton and you can see they have flexibility in the currant.
All this applies EXCEPT with the blue ridge. From all appearances and handle-ability, you'd guess it was a stony, but for some reason which I still haven't quite figured out, it's a softie, lol.
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
All this applies EXCEPT with the blue ridge. From all appearances and handle-ability, you'd guess it was a stony, but for some reason which I still haven't quite figured out, it's a softie, lol.
OK Tiz, What is the blue ridge?
 
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