red/green brain, bubbles forming?

Hi all,

a few weeks ago I got this lobo. It was pretty bleached at the time, but otherwise healthy with one exception- two small damaged spots (maybe from a nearby rock, maybe a mean crab?).
It's starting to color up a bit, with good polyp extension at night.

The odd thing is that there are gas bubbles forming on the damaged areas- is this a sign of regrowth, or coincidence?

Pic 1- a few weeks ago, night shot. If you look to the top you can see the two bare spots.


Pic 2, slime/gas bubbles on top

 

I can't really tell from the pictures. It could be new tissue forming. It could be an infection of some sort if bacteria got in there. I don't actually know if corals can get infections, but something to consider.

 

can't see the color but it kind of looks like bubble algae

 

It's completely clear, and more teardrop shaped rather than round and green.

 

Bubble algae takes many shapes and colors. The vast majority of bubble algae is not green and round. There are all sorts of red bubble alga and I wouldn't be totally surprised if some was clear.

 

there is a such thing as clear bubble algae the petco near us has tanks over run by that thats why i don't buy there almost no body cleans the tanks.

 

Update: bubble popped sometime last night, and there is new growth in the area. I think it's just gasses being trapped by slime.

As to all the comments re: clear algae, while it is theoretically possible (since we don't know everything about our world) it would be awfully hard to photosynthesize light with no pigment. Chlorophyll is typically green, red , or brown, each capturing different wavelengths of light.