Same Zoanthid/Paly --- different names? Driving me NUTS

[returnofsid]

Okay, so this is driving me BATTY!!

I'm finding, what I believe are identical Zoanthids/Palys, with different names and I'm going BONKERS. Someone help me clear this up. OR, are new names being given, to older "high end" polyps, once the hype is over, to start the hype all over again??

Examples:

Mohawks/Chong Bongs/Variable Stars/Everlasting Gobstoppers/maybe even Date Nights

Armor of God/Devil's Armor/Armageddons

Blue Eyed Dragon/AOI/Blue Steel

Eagle Eye/Whammin Watermelon

Flamingos/Miami Vice

Some new one I've just seen, but can't remember the name of/Valentine Day Massacre

Another new one I've seen recently but can't remember the name of/Magicians

PHE (Purple Hearted Zoanthids)/Joker Palys

I could go on and on and on, but my fingers are tired...lol.

Am I just nuts?
Some look identical to me. Some look slightly different, but only slightly, as in different photography.

 

[zoous]

No your not nuts.

 

[OceanMinded]

mohawks and variable stars are the same. Chong Bongs are brighter with a greenish/yellow center, gobstoppers are neon pink with a neon green center (and look completely different). PHE's and jokers are the same except the PHE's have a pinkish red (i think) ring in the middle. The other ones you listed i dont remember what look like.

Gotta remember, people love to make names to earn a buck. Thats all it is. Just buy what you like and never pay what they ask for.

 

[wicked demon]

AOGs and devil armor are not the same at all, or eagle eyes/ ww....just get some of these and you will see.
mohawks are variable stars, chongs bongs are different.

 

[lps1212]

I could se your arguement but wrong statement not same but look-a-likes

 

[returnofsid]

AOGs and devil armor are not the same at all, or eagle eyes/ ww....just get some of these and you will see.
mohawks are variable stars, chongs bongs are different.

That's the thing, I have bought some of the same, all from reputable sources, and they look identical in my tank. I've even seen a reputable vendor, who's also a sponsor on a lot of forums, this one included, who's used the exact same photo, to sell Mohawks and Chong Bongs...lol

I could se your arguement but wrong statement not same but look-a-likes

So what's the difference? Sales decline on Mohawks, so they call them Variable Stars, to create more hype. Why not continue to call them Mohawks? OR, if they're "Mohawk 'look-a-likes,'" why not call them Mohawk Look-A Likes?

 

[PR_Reefers]

the only way to tell for sure the similarities & or differences is put them in the same system IMO.... otherwise even the same colony can look different in different tanks

 

[returnofsid]

the only way to tell for sure the similarities & or differences is put them in the same system IMO.... otherwise even the same colony can look different in different tanks

Yes, I'm completely aware of that. I've fragged zoanthids, from my 200, lit with 10X54 T5HO, put a frag in Angie's nano, lit with 150MH, and they'll usually not change, but every once in awhile, they'll make a complete transformation, and look a lot different.

 

[Nanofins]

You're definitely not nuts, but there are some that you've listed that I would say are definitely different. Of course, it's also possible that if you've seen them in person under the same names that someone might be calling one or another by the wrong name. The problem is that for many types more than one person might get them, possibly without a name at the time, and they independently name them and then later frag them and distribute under the names of their relative choosing which creates two lines of the same thing. Below are my opinions on some that you've listed.

Examples:

Mohawks/Chong Bongs/Variable Stars/Everlasting Gobstoppers/maybe even Date Nights
--Mohawks and Variable Stars are known to be the same thing. I think the originators actually changed the name if I remember correctly. Everlasting Gobstoppers are entirely different; not even close.

Armor of God/Devil's Armor/Armageddons
--Armor of God and Devil's armor are of the same group but display different patterns and so are different, technically. Apocalypse palys would fall in this group as well.
--TRUE, originally Armageddons would never be confused with AOG morphs.

Blue Eyed Dragon/AOI/Blue Steel
--Lots of different names for this one and lots of new rocks being imported all the time so there are lots of lines floating around with possibly different names. Gonna have to live with that one.

Eagle Eye/Whammin Watermelon
--These are often confused and it's easy to see why, but true Eagle Eyes are orange and Whammin' Watermelons are red. Lots and lots of Whammin's get distributed as Eagle Eyes by people with less attention to details/misinformation.

Another new one I've seen recently but can't remember the name of/Magicians
--Bound to be more than one name on these. Lots of wild rocks coming in all the time and someone somewhere is gonna slap their own name on them. I've seen some that have green speckling in the centers and some that have blue, so they may indeed be different.

PHE (Purple Hearted Zoanthids)/Joker Palys
--I see a lot of people debating about whether these are the same and most seem to think so. I don't know. I have gotten some as jokers and some as PHE's and I've had both together now for several months and they continue to be distinct. Definitely a similar variety at least, but I've never seen my Jokers get a red ring and the PHE's have maintained theirs so far.

 

[lps1212]

Well said nanofins that's what I wanted to say but didn't wanna use my phone to do so a lot of look a likes but not the same as my original post but people just have to pay attention to details wobbegongs and yodas are 2 that people always say look a like in my tank famous arguement was the recent pics posted by Kien with the bowser and car's look a like's but when put side by side one can clearly see the difference

 

[PR_Reefers]

Technically most of those are exactly the same species scientifically speaking, so in the wild they will every now and then they reproduce sexually producing offspring with different but similar phenotypes that's IMO why similar morphs keep popping up under different names and hence why it's such a controversy!....just commenting btw:bigsmile:

Yes, I'm completely aware of that. I've fragged zoanthids, from my 200, lit with 10X54 T5HO, put a frag in Angie's nano, lit with 150MH, and they'll usually not change, but every once in awhile, they'll make a complete transformation, and look a lot different.

I know what you mean... plus sometimes it's confusing bc the difference between one or another can be a slight color tone... fwiw I wasn't agreein your nuts..LOL:tongue:

The problem is that for many types more than one person might get them, possibly without a name at the time, and they independently name them and then later frag them and distribute under the names of their relative choosing which creates two lines of the same thing.

I totally agree with this also..

 

[saltwaterfishes]

Yes, a lot similar(or even exact) zoas out there got different names. I'm a huge zoa/paly fan, I just buy what I like.

 

[Troylee]

So true Sid just not worth arguing I would say
Shazams
Cars
Caor
Bowsers
Are the same but they tell me different... Some day someone will give a polyp up and I will see this with my own 2 eyes but until then there all the same to me...:tongue:

 

[ladyreefer1983]

Not to mention vivids rainbow and sunny d's are very similar....
devils armor and armageddon 2...
spaceman palys and cherry charms:xd:
carlitos alien eyes,gobstoppers and toxic revenge have similarities....
etc etc...

 

[Gabe]

Another thing I have noticed is that the longer they are out, the more likely you are to see knock-offs and mislabeled similar morphs (or just completely mislabeled).

I have had both Eagle Eyes and Whammin's in my tank at the same time and they were very different (WWs much brighter and better looking IMO). I think that I have seen more EEs being sold as WWs because of this though.

I have also seen (in the last couple days) a guy on another site selling Magicians as Happy People Eaters, but it caused a few people to comment about the lack of green mouth.

As time goes on, it becomes a bit more obvious which morphs will bring the highest dollars based on their rareness.