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FAQs about Sea Mats, Star
Polyp Reproduction/Propagation
Related Articles: Mat/Star
Polyps, Blue, Pipe Organ Corals,
Related FAQs: Polyps 1, Polyps
2, Polyps 3, Polyp Identification,
Polyp Behavior,
Polyp Compatibility,
Polyp Selection,
Polyp Systems,
Polyp Feeding, Polyp Disease,
Polyp Reproduction/Propagation,
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Green Star Polyps Spawning 12/7/06
My Green Star Polyps are spawning.
<Your polyps do not spawn, no eggs involved.> <<? Sexually? Perhaps so... RMF>>
I'm not sure if I should do anything, but I'm concerned about having green star
polyps taking over the whole tank. It's been up 2.5 years and the various
corals have
grown to fill most of the available space.
Do the spawn usually live? Should I vacuum them out?
<I think you've got something else going on here. Try to get a pic if you have
a camera with macro capability and resend, may be very interesting. James (Salty
Dog)>
I realize this is somewhat rare, special, etc. But I'm just seeing dozens of
planulae and envisioning GSPs sprouting everywhere.
- Ben
Re: Green Star Polyps Spawning 12/8/06
I don't have a digital camera with macro capability, however it looks a lot
like this, from an Eric Borneman article:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/eb/images/image016c.jpg
<Cannot see any pics on these links.>
A different shot from the article shows the eggs with a colony of green star
polyps much better, but looks less similar to my own colony, due to the polyps
being smaller and many being retracted:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/eb/images/image022c.jpg
The whole article:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/eb/index.php
The article as a whole has several pictures of green star polyps that have
spawned, and my own research via Google indicates Pachyclavularia violacea are
external surface brooders. My wife watched the eggs exit the individual polyps
and they are now attached to the polyp mat via what appears to be very fine
strings of mucus.
I don't know if it requires a separate colony to fertilize these eggs, but I
have very little doubt that they are eggs. I did not watch them come out of the
polyps as I was at work, but my wife called me and described it to me as it was
happening yesterday afternoon about 2:30 PM Central time. This would have been
near the middle of the day for the tank.
<Ahh, now I am seeing the light, now that you provided me with the scientific
name of the coral. Yes, your coral does spawn in the form of egg/sperm packets
along with encrusting the entire rockwork they are on. The only prevention from
carpeting the tank is by removing rock they are attached to, perhaps selling or
trading them to your dealer.>
Thank you,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
- Ben
Yellow polyps
Hello again.
<Cheers, Anthony Calfo in your service>
Just wondering about my yellow polyps/anemone colony. They are budding often, and quite quickly.
<delighted to hear it!>
Is it hard to keep these guys under control? I really enjoy them because of how easy they are to care for.
<agreed...and yes, they do grow well when given good current and food. Without such they grow slowly and some may wane/starve. You may control their growth by placing rubble around the main colony and replacing as the pieces become covered. Do trade, give away or sell the pieces locally to
LFS,
aquarium society friends, etc. That means less "coral" that will be collected wild for having done it>
When one animal that is part of a group, or buds that are all attached, catches some food, does the entire group benefit?
<very good question. No...they are not interconnected so intimately but rather they are colonial. You may cut away any number of individuals without harming the rest of the colony. I should be placing an article on such coral propagation or an excerpt from my book on our site here soon>
Thanks lots! -Becky
<best regards, Anthony>
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