#acropora

[snototter]

A blackside hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri) in a stony coral (Acropora grandis), in East Timor, Asia

by Nick Hobgood

[colorsoutofearth]

Coral photos by David Hall

Top left: Wire coral (Cirrhipathes spp.)

Top right: Red sea whips (Ellisella spp.)

Bottom left: Soft coral (Dendronephthya spp.) with a brittlestar

Bottom right: Staghorn coral (Acropora spp.)

[beautyunderthewaves]

A Rainbow of Coral 🪸

[dr-otter]

Do I know anyone here with a saltwater reef tank? Ever had to deal with a flatworm infestation?

I recently got some biopsies from Caribbean Acropora that were losing tissue and dying. These guys are full of flatworms, and while there are several species of flatworm described on corals in the Pacific and in aquaria on Pacific species, I can't find any references that mention a Caribbean variety, or even an Atlantic one, at all. It's pretty difficult to get an ID beyond "flatworm" from routine histology but I might get tissue to sequence using laser capture microdissection that I can compare to other known species.

I think these might be escapees from someone's hobby aquarium, just possibly. It's also possible that they are a native species no one noticed before but the fact that they are such a big aquarium pest has me worried.

This is why we should never dump an aquarium into wild waters or release any kind of pet that isn't native, or even that is but has had contact with non-native species, into the wild. You never know what else you're unleashing. You might be killing coral reefs.

[deepest-shrimpathy]

A bunch of coral close-ups from some of my dives in Anilao, Philippines (2019)!!

(The coral variety by Sombrero Island in particular is just immaculate)

[animalids]

Cluster coral (Acropora millepora)

Photo by Gergely Torda

[kratosbiat]

Like my other SPS colony the stn would randomly start on branches closest to power heads, damn never hand issue before what the hell. Parameters were all in ideal range except nitrates crept up to about 16 ppm from 12 ppm. Hard to tell with my test kit being slightly colored blind, it was my best guess. From past experience SPS will brown out in high nitrates, not stn, not lighting that would bleach out corals starting with the side closest to the light, this stn was opposite side/furthest from the light. I finally gave in and ordered an ICP test. I couldn’t figure it out. Now the long waiting.

[the-starry-artist]

Merponies are fun to draw She has healing magic. Ive decided to call  her Acropora