General SPS questions

So I'm starting to get the SPS bug and I just have some general questions. I'm well aware of their care requirements and have three growing nicely in my tank right now. Basically what I'm wondering is can anyone give me some good clues about how to tell each SPS apart, as far as an acro from a mili and a staghorn, monti, etc. I've seen so many different looking SPS called an acro I'm not really sure what exactly classifies something as an acro. If anyone could shed some light on this for me or point me in the right direction that would be great. I know this is a broad question but I'm really only looking for a broad answer if that makes any sense.

 

Well I have bad news for you millis and staghorns are acros. Acros are the largest family of SPS corals so there are many different species available. Many need to be put under a microscope for exact identification.

Try coralpedia to see if they have any resources mentioned. Also google acropora identification.

 

Thanks, i didn't know that.

 

I think many times the species are wrong but the genus is correct when it comes to SPS ID.

I know to me acropora millipora and acropora prostrata look the same. And I have as much trouble differentiating other species also. Look on reef pets and reef empire's ebay auctions when they have a species ID and see how similar they look it is crazy.

 

montiporas usually are easy to id.
monti digitata are thin and branchy with polyps all over
monti capricornis grow in "plates" or circular cones
encrusting montiporas... encrust haha
deepwater acros have long skinny corallites (where the polyp comes out) and generally grow slower
acropora millepora usually have a long slender wavy rod that comes out of the polyps
acropora tortuosa have very very small polyps
acropora tenius have an almost flat look to where the polyp is extended from and 'most' have VERY long polyp extension

 

just do what I do. make up your own name. lol

 

Browse some reputable online vendors, like LiveAquaria etc for some general understanding of the genuses, that's usually enough. Getting into species is very difficult and takes a lot of work, it generally requires either a lot of experience ID'ing or an almost microscopic examination of the skeleton (which is hard to do on a living coral ). You can sometimes get a general idea of a few species (like A. millepora, A. prostrata, A. hyacinthus and a few more are all very similar) that it might be somewhat easily but really pinning it down to species is very difficult.

If you're really interested in it check out the set of books, "Corals of the World".

This website is pretty interesting too for acro ID's, but you need to know a LOT about the coral you're trying to ID. More than you can get from a picture.
Coralsee