soft coral (toadstool) newbee question

hi all im new to the forum and keeping marine fish, although my brother has been keeping marine tanks for years he has got me interested, anyway im sure i will have many questions to ask but this is my first.

how do soft corals reproduce, because today i noticed this little addition that i know was not there a week or so ago..??

thanx adrian (uk)

 

What little addition? are you talking about the toadstool? it was there is must have just been shrunk down so you did not notice it. did you get some new rock? if you did it most likely cam in as a hitchhiker, really cool hitchhiker.

As far as reproducing, some use eggs and sperm and in the case of most SPS especially Acros. Some just bud new ones like acans and Duncan's do but these sometimes require manual separation and in the wild happens when fish or crabs bit or break off a piece.

The softies tend to just drop off pieces of themselves like Devils hands and Kenya trees do. At leasts that is my take on it.

 

sorry i should have made it a little easier to spot.. this.

 

you could cut that off and attach it to a rock and it would grow. toadstools you cut in pieces to frag.

 

Hi and Welcome ady1306.

As gazog stated in his post, you are seeing a form of reproduction called budding.

It certain looks like a very healthy toadstool, very attractive piece.

 

thanx guys......

will it do any damage to keep it there though, i dont think i could cut it off..:-/

 

I would just let it be. It will fall off when ready. Gotta love corals that make new frags all by themselfs.

 

You do not have to cut it off. It will not hurt anything where it is. It may however drop off by itself. My toadstools are constantly dropping babies.

 

woohoo.... thank you, that makes me feel loads better, babies on the way then.;D