What kind of coral is this?

[samantha]

I purchased this coral from my LFS. They don't have a great variety, but this one looked better than the rest. It is doing well -- had quite a few bare spots when I got it, and over the course of about 3 weeks is filling in nicely. They didn't know what it was and I can't seem to find a picture of it anywhere on this site (even looked on another site to see if they sold something like this).
Can anyone identify it for me?
(I know the pic is not the best -- especially compared to some that you guys post, but it's the best I can do)
Thanks!

 

[samantha]

another pic with top of tank open

 

[samantha]

final one (after taking about 20 shots) {now I'm even MORE impressed with some of the awesome pics I've seen other people take and attach on this site -- this is harder than it looks!}

 

[samantha]

It'd be really helpful if the pics were decent, huh?
I bought a rock covered with them. It has probably 100 little flowery guys that come out of individual openings on the rock. They are brown with white tips. Each little "flower" has probably 6-12 individual "arms" that come out and sway. They are between 1/2 to 1 centimeter long (some "arms" are longer than others). When they retract back into the rock, the opening they came out of is hard. The openings stick up on the rock (not flat on the rock).
Does that help any?

 

[saltynewbie]

its hard to tell from the pic, but it also could be some sort of encrusting gorgonian.

 

[samantha]

"You say when they retract..the surface is hard?Do you mean rock hard..or is it kind of rubbery..but firm?"
Rock hard..... like "cut your feet if you step on it in the ocean" hard.
I'll take it out of the tank at lunch and see if I can get a better pic.

 

[saltynewbie]

the description also makes it sound like a pipe organ coral, but the picture doesnt look like one..... hmmm.... :notsure:

 

[samantha]

pic with it out of the tank. The flowers have retracted somewhat, but you can see the overall structure...

 

[samantha]

last one....

 

[tonya-sr]

hi samatha, i was thumbing through my corals reference guide and i found a picture of a (Dichocoenia), common name,elliptical star coral. and from your picture, it looks very simular, here's the description it gives,
small shaped massive colonies. columnar or laminar in deep water. coralliites plocoid, to submeandroid. two species are commonly observed, D. stokesii and D. stellaris. the latter has smaller polyps with fewer septa. some authorities consider the two species synonymous. the auther considers them distinct.
D. stokesii is highly varible. a rare giant form in the florida keys may be an undescribed species. another form has cerioid polyps. and a similar coral which may be confused with is Favia fragum.
this it all the info it gives, i can't send a pic of it right now, but maybe you can pull it up on Yahoo or somewhere else. i'm not sure that this is tour coral, but from your picture it sure looks like it. good luck.
tonya-sr

 

[samantha]

Thanks. I looked up elliptical star coral on the internet (which led me to a nice site listing Florida area corals) and I think the closest pic to my coral might be the Blushing Star Coral. http://www.floridamarine.org/gallery...ls.asp?id=3626
what do you think?
I also looked up the clove polyp but I think it is prettier than what I have.

 

[tonya-sr]

you may be right about the blushing star coral, but the way your picture looked i thought your coral was flat at the base, i couldn't tell, here's a description of the ( Stephanocenia ), Blushing star polyp.
brown mounds with small circular polyps. may be incrusting or form large heads. usuallyoccures as small dome shaped colonies attached to hard bottom. colonies ( blush ) pale when the polyps contract.
:notsure: about the clove polyp, your could be, you did say when you got it from your lfs that it had bare spots, it could be still stressed out, it takes a couple of weeks for them to get acclimated and comfertable in your tank, (at least it does it mine). as it settles in it will probly get bigger and prettier. and then you might be able to identify it better.
maybe someone else might know what it maybe. i could be wrong on both accounts. lol, keep me posted.
thanks tonya-sr

 

[samantha]

Thanks for the description from your book. BTW - what book do you have for the corals and do you like it? I need to get a book on corals (this was the first one I had purchased) and there are so many available, I'd like to get a good one that I can use for years.