Mystery Reef Species
30 Jan, 2021
Hint: It’s obviously a SPS stony coral. Guessing the genus is going to be the easy part. Many corals in this large family are never identified to the species level in the aquarium trade, and yet they can sometimes be recognized right down the individual genetic clone. So, for all the bragging rights, how close can you get to identifying this stony coral that was introduced by a well-known coral specialist? Read on for the answer…
See this and many more eye-popping corals in the REEF VISIONS column for the March/April issue of CORAL. The feature topic is a deep dive by author Scott W. Michael into the world of shrimp gobies and their commensal crustacean partners-in-survival.
ANSWER
Jason Fox Green Mango Acropora
Acropora sp.
Jason Fox Signature Corals
Baltimore, Maryland
jasonfoxsignaturecorals.com
Geographic Origin: Indonesia
Light Level: Medium to High
Flow Level: High
Care Level: Moderate
Notes: The unique growth structure and blue-green color make this a desirable coral. It resembles images of Acropora loripes, a widespread and variable species, but even experts today are wary of guessing stony coral species identification from a photograph. Whatever the scientific name, it’s an added bonus that this is also a fast-growing Acropora when conditions are right.
Photo Credit: May Fox
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About the author
Matt Pedersen
Matt Pedersen is a Sr. Editor and Associate Publisher with Reef To Rainforest Media, LLC & CORAL Magazines, and is a Sr. Editor and Publishing Partner with Aquatic Media Press, LLC & AMAZONAS Magazine. Matt has kept aquariums for 38 years, has worked in most facets of the aquarium trade, is an active aquarist and fish breeder (both marine and freshwater), and was recognized with the 2009 MASNA Award as the MASNA Aquarist of the Year.
