jackthestrat
DON'T PANIC
Is it illegal to possess the species in our reef tanks?
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Acropora Palmata (Elkhorn)
- Thread starter jackthestrat
- Start date
Someone wasn't paying attention to a speaker at BRASS 
I wasn't either
so I can't answer that but my gut reaction is prob no since they're not doing so good in the wild...
I wasn't either
so I can't answer that but my gut reaction is prob no since they're not doing so good in the wild...
Joel A
Started over.
Can someone provide a picture? I searched google but a wide variety of very different looking corals came up.
I have something that me and my buddy didn't know what it was, so we were referring to it as "unknown acropora" but then someone told us that it was an "elkhorn acropora" ??? Wonder if it's the same thing? IIRC there is also an "Elkhorn Montipora" so maybe it's that?
I have something that me and my buddy didn't know what it was, so we were referring to it as "unknown acropora" but then someone told us that it was an "elkhorn acropora" ??? Wonder if it's the same thing? IIRC there is also an "Elkhorn Montipora" so maybe it's that?
There is a pic here and some good info:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/elkhorncoral.htm
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/elkhorncoral.htm
Yeah it's not actually green. I think the lighting was just weird in that top pic. Must be a "limited edition" one. 
Although if I'm remembering the BRASS talk correctly, the captive raised ones actually do develop a green tint. But I'll assume you don't have one of those. Also there were a number of pictures of wild colonies and it appears it can grow in many shapes there was even a picture where it was essentially in a plate growth form.
As my system matures, my plan is to attempt to get as many Caribbean species as I can via FL aquacultured rock. Given palmata's limited geographic range, I'm not expecting it to be around any of the aquaculture sites.
So getting back to the BRASS talk, the coral larvae settled out and ultimately had to be colonized by zooxanthellae. As a source the researchers used a crushed up coral with clade c. I believe most if not all Atlantic zooxanthellae is clade a. And so now they have palmata colonized with clade c.
I recall a talk on zooxanthellae clades at MACNA XX. Clade c is supposedly a much better symbiot than clade a. It was proposed that one of the reasons Atlantic corals were being so hard hit was because they have crappier zooxanthellae. In the BRASS talk they were discussing returning their captive bred palmata to the Atlantic. That would introduce a clade c version of palmata into the atlantic. That's an interesting topic. Perhaps that could be revenge for the corals in Hawaii that got infected with clade a and then started bleaching.
Although if I'm remembering the BRASS talk correctly, the captive raised ones actually do develop a green tint. But I'll assume you don't have one of those. Also there were a number of pictures of wild colonies and it appears it can grow in many shapes there was even a picture where it was essentially in a plate growth form.
As my system matures, my plan is to attempt to get as many Caribbean species as I can via FL aquacultured rock. Given palmata's limited geographic range, I'm not expecting it to be around any of the aquaculture sites.
So getting back to the BRASS talk, the coral larvae settled out and ultimately had to be colonized by zooxanthellae. As a source the researchers used a crushed up coral with clade c. I believe most if not all Atlantic zooxanthellae is clade a. And so now they have palmata colonized with clade c.
I recall a talk on zooxanthellae clades at MACNA XX. Clade c is supposedly a much better symbiot than clade a. It was proposed that one of the reasons Atlantic corals were being so hard hit was because they have crappier zooxanthellae. In the BRASS talk they were discussing returning their captive bred palmata to the Atlantic. That would introduce a clade c version of palmata into the atlantic. That's an interesting topic. Perhaps that could be revenge for the corals in Hawaii that got infected with clade a and then started bleaching.
Joel A
Started over.
well how long ago did they stop importing it? IIRC this piece that i have is from Mike, and mike got it from a small pet shot about a year ago or so... but it could have been at that pet shop for a while... he bought a whole large colony for like 20 bucks, because most of it was dead or receding. The shop was getting rid of all its SPS so it could focus on LPS/Softies because it was having issues keeping SPS.. so he got this "unknown" acropora from the shop for dirt cheap, and gave me a big piece of it... When he was selling all of his tank stuff off, he labeled it as "unkown acro" because he didn't know what it was, but then someone who came over to buy stuff said that it was an "elkhorn acropora".
Maybe it had been sitting in this guys shop for a while before the import ban on them was issued?
Maybe it had been sitting in this guys shop for a while before the import ban on them was issued?
I travel to AUTEC on Andros island in the bahamas and elkhorn coral is all over the place there and quite healthy in a lot of areas. I think Palmata hasn't seen those either because they are in the Bahamas (not a US territory) or because it isnt easy to get there if you arent military.
I thought it was a montipora species? I dunno, Im new to this SPS stuff. Either way, it grows in several forms there and is pretty brown. I know university of Fl. researchers are studying it down there.
I thought it was a montipora species? I dunno, Im new to this SPS stuff. Either way, it grows in several forms there and is pretty brown. I know university of Fl. researchers are studying it down there.
Right on Jocko, it was Mitch! Sorry!
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