How many heads of Euphyllia makes a colony?

[vetteguy53081]

Beautiful. Do you remember where the bi colored hammers came from? I have the same, kinda looks more like framers but always wondered if they’re Indo or Aussie

Been so long. I have hammer-torch-frammer- frogspawn and others

 

[Bruce Burnett]

A coral colony is made up of more than one polyp. So the answer is two "heads" have become a colony. Same for one inch sps frags. They have multiple polyps, so they have formed a colony. It's either one polyp, or a colony of polyps.

So a 1/2 single branch sps would be a colony as it would have multiple polyps.
Technically if each polyp is an individual that comes from the same species and interact with each other then it is a colony. Under that definition not sure they would be colonies as each head does not require any other head to survive and or grow new heads. Now the definition that a group of the same species lives in an area is a colony then define group as that usually still requires interactions between them.

 

[elysics]

Enough that you can break off a frag and not change the look

Which is probably in the 10-20 range, maybe earlier if they are really bushy

 

[MaxTremors]

In biological terms, even one polyp is a colony. In marketing terms, I would say at least 4 fully formed heads. Counting a splitting head as two heads is ridiculous.

 

[damsels are not mean]

That would be as accurate as saying there must be 8 heads to make up a colony This has turned into people just pulling opinions out of their rear side. You either have a polyp, or a colony (2+) polyps. Not rocket science.

Sure, but this is a hobby, and hobbies have shorthand for things. Words can mean different things in different contexts. When we say "colony" in the hobby we generally mean something that ain't a frag.

 

[MaxTremors]

That would be as accurate as saying there must be 8 heads to make up a colony This has turned into people just pulling opinions out of their rear side. You either have a polyp, or a colony (2+) polyps. Not rocket science.

Technically, even one ‘polyp’ can be a colony. A Trachyphyllia geoffroyi is a single polyp but also considered a colony:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species_factsheet_summary/trachyphyllia-geoffroyi/

 

[MrGisonni]

A coral colony is made up of more than one polyp. So the answer is two "heads" have become a colony. Same for one inch sps frags. They have multiple polyps, so they have formed a colony. It's either one polyp, or a colony of polyps.

Yes more than 1 polyp = colony.

A coral colony is made up of more than one polyp. So the answer is two "heads" have become a colony. Same for one inch sps frags. They have multiple polyps, so they have formed a colony. It's either one polyp, or a colony of polyps.

 

[MrGisonni]

Technically, even one ‘polyp’ can be a colony. A Trachyphyllia geoffroyi is a single polyp but also considered a colony:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species_factsheet_summary/trachyphyllia-geoffroyi/

More than one oral opening = colony

 

[MrGisonni]

So a 1/2 single branch sps would be a colony as it would have multiple polyps.
Technically if each polyp is an individual that comes from the same species and interact with each other then it is a colony. Under that definition not sure they would be colonies as each head does not require any other head to survive and or grow new heads. Now the definition that a group of the same species lives in an area is a colony then define group as that usually still requires interactions between them.

True. This whole thread is semantics. Solitary polyps that split are individuals. They share no tissue so yes.

 

[hotdrop]

They fill out around 5-6. I have way too many I just need to give away

 

[Ef4life]

If you can get a definitive count on how many corallites it has it’s not colony sized yet. Once a euphyllia skeleton gets to about grapefruit sized I’d definitely consider that to be a small colony.

that said I’d say minimum of 10 corallites to be a even remotely in the realm of being a colony.


my small colony - it’s about cantelope sized right now, it was about 2x that size but I had to frag it since it was shading itself and killing off the lowest corallites

 

[Timfish]

. . . three's a crowd.

 

[ReefStash]

I like big colonies BUT…

 

[editour2]

How about over 100 heads....

 

[i cant think]

I’m going to bump this thread and see if anyone has any other ideas, I voted other as I believe if you can only see a tiny bit of the skeleton when fully extended it’s a colony. This isn’t my fully extended hammer (Feel free to guess how many heads) however I do think this could be a Mini colony.

 

[Aiden22!]

If you can get a definitive count on how many corallites it has it’s not colony sized yet. Once a euphyllia skeleton gets to about grapefruit sized I’d definitely consider that to be a small colony.

that said I’d say minimum of 10 corallites to be a even remotely in the realm of being a colony.


my small colony - it’s about cantelope sized right now, it was about 2x that size but I had to frag it since it was shading itself and killing off the lowest corallites

is that a hammer or frogspawn?

 

[Ef4life]

is that a hammer or frogspawn?

I think it’s a hybrid of both honestly

 

[Aiden22!]

I think it’s a hybrid of both honestly

interesting, im about to buy a drag with 6 heads and it looks exactly like yours. do you remember how much it was when you bought it because it’s labeled as a hammer. thanks!

 

[Ef4life]

interesting, im about to buy a drag with 6 heads and it looks exactly like yours. do you remember how much it was when you bought it because it’s labeled as a hammer. thanks!

Probably 20-30 dollars for a single polyp, it’s been in my tank 5-6+ years

 

[Aiden22!]

Probably 20-30 dollars for a single polyp, it’s been in my tank 5-6+ years

great! thank you for the reply it is much appreciated!