lobo growth??

[cuz]

found this on the underside of my lobo tonight, it has a mouth in the center, doesn't seem to annoy the lobo. Just curious if anyone knows what it might be??
p.s. not the white sponge just the red vien(sp) lookin thing.

[bvlester]

can you get a closer pic spunges are filter feeders so the coral will like the water that comes out of it but they can grow over an entire coral given enough time. I have a lot of spunges growning no my rocks. Most spunges will gow in the shadows as they do not like intense light.

Bill

[cuz]

i'll try a better pic, i don't really think its a sponge tho, cuz of the mouth and slimy texture. it didn't retact when touched or anything either tho??

[Myka]

Many sponges have little "mouths", they aren't mouths though...well kinda. I vote for sponge.

[Snaz]

Look to me like the coral is extending a mat like a zoa does, same colour and same pattern almost. Can these corals do that?

[bvlester]

It cou7ld be getting ready to grow anouther head or just exstending it mantal or what ever it is called. trumpet corals will exstend it mantal and grow a new head. Sponges come in a wide veriety of colors, shapes and sizes; if it is a spunge it should have what loos like 2 mouths one is the in take for filtering the water and the other is the output for the nice clean water. If the other spunge wasn't there I would definitly say the coral was propigating. I have trumpet coral that has just done this, so it is a posibility. Just leave it in the water and watch it closly and you will either see the bony structure start to build up a bit or the flesh spred. If the flesh spreds alot then you may want to do some thing or seek out expert advice on the matter.

In the meen time you may wat to have that spunge turned toward the light that will take care of it's self.I say this because the spunge will over grow the coral I have seen spunges fill an entire cavity that I could fit my hand into.

Bill

[cuz]

Look to me like the coral is extending a mat like a zoa does, same colour and same pattern almost. Can these corals do that?

thats kinda my first hunch but could be either.

bvlester:
If turned to the light a sponge should disapear right? so if i face it upwards and it continues to grow that should get me closer in a guess correct?

[Myka]

It cou7ld be getting ready to grow anouther head or just exstending it mantal or what ever it is called.

You can see the edge of the flesh in the photo. It doesn't look like the Lobo is growing a new polyp to me.

[cuz]

i was pretty sure lobo's split their crrent heads kinda like how a candy cane will split?

[bvlester]

do you have a pic of the top side as this may not be a lobo coral.We need to see the top of the coral to properly ID, as lobo's grow like a brain coral by this artical. If it is grown with seporate heads then it is iether a candy cane or a trumpet coral.
here is a link to an artical on lobo corals.
http://www.petsolutions.com/Red-Lobo-Brain-Coral+I181400L+C16175.aspx

sorry about this but by the pic it does not look like any of the lobos I have googled.

Bill

[cuz]

crappy quick pics, lights are going into evening mode so its gettin a bit dim in there.

[bvlester]

That realy looks like it is a candy cane branching coral and that would mean that it is about to propigate a new head. I can be wrong as I do not know everything but when I give info I try and do my resurch.
Anouther link. Gives info on alot of corals.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/corals/Stony-corals.php

Bill

[cuz]

hmm really don't think they're candy canes so i gues before the question at hand can be answered correctly i'll have to start an id thread to find out what i've really got..lol

[Myka]

There are branching and lobed Lobos. That is a branching Lobo. Google "branching Lobophyllia", you will see lots of photos.

[cuz]

lol thanks myka!! to late tho already posted an id thread!!lol