Ltp

[steamboatwv]

just have a question about my plate coral, is it normal for them to go from having one mouth area to having 2 of them?? do they split or is it just something else?? it was one big mouth area now it has divided into 2 of them not the coral just the mouth area they are about 1/4 inch apart now...

[skeety]

sounds like it's splitting to me.

PICS! PICS!!

[Twitterbait]

sounds like it to me.

[steamboatwv]

ok here is a pic, i didnt think plates split i thought they spawned... sry bout the pic its the best i could get of it but you can see the separation in the mouths in it...

[ChilisREasy]

its splitting..completely normal

[jenajet]

I didn't know they do that.

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by jenajet

I didn't know they do that.

Actually all Fungia are capable of this, though it is a little less often seen in Heliofungia spp as they have such dismal survival rates in captive systems. I'd be interested in seeing this specimen in 6 months, they either do extremely well in home systems (rare) or die within that initial 6 months (usual) period of time. Unfortunately they fall into that class of corals that have some issue associated with either importing them to captive systems or some issues with supplying food items in captivity (as do Gonipora spp., Alveopora spp., and Cataphyllia jardinii ) that lead to their ultimate loss. Usually last about 6 months, the amount of time for them to exhaust their stored nutrition from the wild when kept in good clean water, sooner in less than optimal water conditions.

Sorry for the bad news, but it's better to know, you might get lucky. I usually suggest that most aquarist avoid purchasing these specimens. I love them, but have personally killed 3 under these same conditions.


HTH

[jenajet]

Oh no! Well keeping my fingers crossed. Mine has recovered from salt burn as well as nearly freezing to death so it's a fighter. Now mine is the short tenticle so don't know if it makes a difference. I have had it close to a year so at least I have passed the six month mark.

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by jenajet

Oh no! Well keeping my fingers crossed. Mine has recovered from salt burn as well as nearly freezing to death so it's a fighter. Now mine is the short tenticle so don't know if it makes a difference. I have had it close to a year so at least I have passed the six month mark.

Though closely related, you are probably dealing with a Fungia spp.. The Heliofungia spp.] have the long, fat tentacles with knobs on the ends and are the ones with trouble surviving. The other plate LPS corals are Fungia and related Cycloseris, Halometra, Diaseris, Polyphyllia, Herpolithia, and the Sandolithiaspp. seen more commonly in the aquarium trade (there are a few others as well usually not imiported), and are a bit easier to keep, though under the right conditions, keeping Heliofungia in captivity has been reported, with good steady growth of specimens kept of soft substrate bottoms.

If you should have success with your specimen, there are several shrimp that have commensurate relationships with Heiofungia specimens, most notibly Periclimenes Kororensis (see THIS LINK for a photo ) among many others, you might try googling "commensurates" and "Heliofungia", very interesting little crustaceans.


I wish I could get one of these corals to live in my systems, but after the 3rd loss, I feel that continuing to attemp this difficult-to-import specie supports the continued harvesting of thes corals.

I believe it may have more to do with shipping trauma than anything else, but again, I cannot support their continued harvesting... ...maybe one day I will end up with one as a LFS or tank rescue.

[jenajet]

my plate

[tdwyatt]

BAsed on tentacle placement and general appearance, probably Fungia somervillei, a very nice and disease-resistant spp. of Fungia. Very good that you have the specimen on sand.

Did you know that they can actually move around the aquarium?

[tdwyatt]

better photo of the shrimp mentioned above:
http://forum.kapalselam.org/2005/12/17/923/

[jenajet]

Mine pretty much stays put. It doesn't like the super bright area's of the tank and with mh shaded area's are limited. Good to know this is the hardier guy. He is one of my favs! Now if food lands near him he gets it. The shrimp is cute, but wouldn't last 2 seconds in the 90. My dwarf hits anything edible the minute it hits the water.

[tdwyatt]

Another specie of commensurate (ok, I cannot sleep tonight...)

http://www.edge-of-reef.com/macruri/...orallicola.htm

[jenajet]

That last one was cool.