[Coral-List] Identity of blue octocoral off NC??

[Phil Alderslade]

Dear Princess,
 
One cannot deny that the photographer whose images appear on http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=924190 <http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=924190>  is a very skilled artist.  But please be very wary of the names appended to those images. On the several sections I viewed there were generally more errors than correct identifications.   You mention Carijoa in your letter, but less than 25% of the the relevant images on the site are actually this genus.  The others are mostly gorgonians and zooanthids.  Zooanthids and anemones are not octocorals but are listed as octocoral families in the index, along with hard corals. 
 
Such errors are perhaps to be expected, and I mean no malice to the author, but these errors unfortunately get perpuated.
 
May I humbly recommend that to help you with your hobby you consider purchasing Soft Corals and Sea Fans - A comprehensive guide to the tropical shallow-water genera of the Central-West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea by K. Fabricius and P. Alderslade,  Australia: $66.00 (inc GST) plus $9.00 postage, Overseas: $60.00 plus $20.00 postage, available from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) website (  http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/facilities/bookshop/bs-soft-corals01.html  ) and other book sellers.

The copyright of this book is owned by jointly by AIMS and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and I get no money from any book sales - just the hope that some more accurate knowledge will permeate the system.

Cheers,

Phil.


 




________________________________

From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov on behalf of The Frog Princess
Sent: Sat 3/3/2007 8:11 AM
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov; pawlikj at uncw.edu
Subject: [Coral-List] Identity of blue octocoral off NC??



Hi, I ran across this thread looking for a different species of blue xenia. I am an aquarium hobbyist, not professional but this coral looks like 2 specimens I've seen on the internet. maybe this will help you get closer.

This is the one I think you have, and it's identified here as Carijola multiflora:
http://www.julianrocks.net/Sessile/Carijoa.htm

This may be the same coral, as the photographer refers to it commonly as sessile venia and Anthelia glauca scientifically:  (This is where the experts can chime in.)
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Africa/Egypt/photo3051.htm

Incidentally there is an invasive species of Carijola in Hawaii that is smothering the black coral. It's identified as C. riseri. It looks the same to me too.

Here is link to an image where its obvious the polps aren't part of the host.
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=924190

The most complete site for pictures and information I found for the  
Order ALCYONCEA. Look under the Genus Xeniidae and Clauvularidae.
It's a bit confusing, but if you click on the top menu Item "Multimedia" , when in the Genus, and in the species you can see more pictures.

I read somewhere that Carijola is associated often with orange sponge...
and then I found this nudibranch identified as Carijoa Tritonia. I wonder if it eats it?

http://www.daveharasti.com/nelsonbay/seaslugs/Tritonia_sp.jpg

http://www.daveharasti.com/nelsonbay/seaslugs/pagefive.htm

That's all I know, unless you'd like to ship me a live specimen :)

Kristie







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