Tubastraea faulkneri,a local common coral in a mutated form?

The popular coral in this thread is extremely common in Qs south east and is also very light sensitive.

This is quite apparent, as they do not normally exist in the wild in a full day of light.

We find them at times in rock pools of just one metre in depth and in the full light, but never in the light near the middle of the day,they are always growing in shaded areas at that stage.

Most are actually not in the light,but in caves and under ledges in masses and thrive in certain areas and certain conditions that very few hobbyists provide for them in display tanks.

For a few months or so it doesn’t matter much, but for the long term they can suffer and reduce their polyp mass a great deal.
They are quite often completely dead over the long term for some hobbyists.

The pics that follow are firstly of the variation of the orange tubastraea being more pale then the normal, the common green to near black type isn’t in this thread though it is even more common then the orange, this is about one cluster I found last year in full light, not quite as orange as the regular type and the polyps aren’t quite the same either.

I came across this cluster again in September and it is even bigger and in full sunlight?

This is the only one of this variation I have seen any where around our waters living like this and we see billions upon billions of the regular tubastrea, so with the tank and system I use being able to sustain anything nicely, I brought it home to see how it will go.

There are some new polyps on the rear and under the algae already, its not pretty, it’s just the only one I have seen.

The slightly different non light sensitive variation.


Standard faulkneri.


I realise that there are many life forms that are supposed to be photosynthetic dependant as is the case with most corals, but with this type of coral from where we see it in the ocean and monitor itys growth and life style over quite a few years and the personal use and keeping of them, they are light sensitive.

It’s the same in the ocean and on the land, you do not have to be in the direct light to receive some of it, if you are under a tree in the shade you will still get sunburnt and if cloud cover is over head you will still get sunburnt.

The light reflects off most hard and soft surfaces spreading all around.

So in the shallow caves and ledges there is still some light getting to these corals, just not that much as there is in direct light.

you know wikipedia ay zhyr

nice post liquidG whateva the scientific name for the thing seems you proved your case.
good to see someone going to the trouble supplying evidence of expermentation in their tanks, rather than just words copied from an online article.

love your work