Adastrea Echinophyllia Colony. The bright blue spots of the Adastrea coral
contrast with the green to bright fluorescing green of the surface of the coral. The blue spots can be
arranged in rows toward the outer edge of the colony. Reeffarmers acquired half of this imported colony
which had been adapted to captivity.
The Adastrea Echinophyllia has a very unique pigmentation pattern that Reeffarmers has never seen in a
Echinophyllia coral before. The surface of the coral is colored green with areas of bright fluorescing
green. The unique pigmentation consists of bright blue dots or spots that are found all over the surface
of the coral (see above image). The blue spots can also occur in rows and they can develop patterns
centered on a corallite mouth (see image below).
Reeffarmers acquired a colony of this coral from Clint at
Diamonds in the Reef. We split our colony with a private collector located in Los Angeles. Clint has been working
directly with a collector in Sulawesi Indonesia. That collector had been holding this coral for a few months prior
to Clint importing it directly. The corals marketing name was coined by Clint. This particular coral was adapted to
captive systems when Reeffarmers had acquired it. The coral also fragments very well and Reeffarmers will
be producing captive grown fragments of this coral for years. It has maintained its pigmentation fairly easily.
Steve Tyree is maintaining a seed section of the Adastrea Echinophyllia for Reeffarmers.com
in an 125 gallon naturally filtered Tri-Zonal Reef Aquarium. In Steve's captive reef the coral is
positioned to receive Weak to moderate light under a 400 watt 20,000 K Radium Metal Halide. The coral
appears to require weak to Moderate illumination to retain its coloration. Pleas note -
Reeffarmers retired this coral in August 2010. We lost the seed, but would love to acquire
the coral once again.
Adastrea Echinophyllia Corallite Closeup. The blue spots of the
Adastrea coral can form patterns inside the corallite areas. Note the pigment pattern in the lower right
corallite. Also note the rows of blue spots in the upper center of the image.
TM
