Corals Archives - Coral Ever After

Fossilized Oceans: Beautiful Agatized Coral Reefs

reefdup Corals, Fossils March 9, 2024March 9, 2024actinocyanthus, agatized, Charlevoix, clam, coquina, Coral, Fossils, horn, lithostrotion, petosky, petrified, polyp, rugosa, stromatolite 0 Comment

With this post, CoralEverAfter expands from just coral conservation of present-day corals to appreciation of their fossil history – and maybe a glimpse into the future. I’m a nerd, through and through, right down to the rock collection I’ve had since I was a kid. However, last year, everything changed. My husband went to Australia and brought me back some opals – in the rough. He knew I had my Gryphon band saw for cutting live corals, so he thought the hard part was over (this reminds me of when I found that *free* fish tank at a yard sale that started my reefkeeping obsession). Well, I ended up with a slab saw (to cut the rough into something more workable), and then I ended up with a cabbing machine. And, of course, I couldn’t start with the opals; I had to practice! So I started buying rocks…and got addicted. But then, I found fossilized oceans. More specifically, agatized corals that were once part of an ancient reef.

So now, not only am I interested in reefkeeping and scuba diving, I’m also into coral lapidary arts. But, it doesn’t stop there. Ooooh no… Because what’s the point of having all these pretty rocks just stored up?? So, I started metalsmithing copper and silver. I already bead, so now I have pretty much the whole lifecycle of jewelry. I hope you enjoy the amazing variety of coral polyp structures, mineral colors, cyanobacteria structures, preserved deathbeds of clams, and other finds on these ancient coral reefs from fossilized oceans.

Indonesian Coral necklace, set in copper with pearl and copper accents

Indonesia Agatized Coral and Marine Life

The variety of patterns and colors in Indonesian agatized coral and other marine life is truly stunning. Some are nearly entirely agatized, leaving little traces of the original flower-patterned mineralization. Others, leave just the polyp structure, resulting in an incredible field-of-flowers pattern. But, one of my absolute favorites isn’t even a fossilized coral; it’s “Script Jasper,” which is a mortality plate of clams made of vibrant oranges, puce, and small crystal patches.

Indonesian Agatized Coral Cabochon
Indonesia Agatized Coral and Rough
Indonesian Agatized Coral Cabochon and Rough
Indonesian Agatized Coral Cabochon
Indonesia Agatized Coral Cabochon and Rough
Coquina Clam Mortality Plate Cabochon and Rough
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab
Indonesian Agatized Coral Slab

United States Agatized Coral and Marine Life

Southwest United States:

While most Utah agatized coral comes in varying shades of browns, grays, and yellows, the Red Horn Coral (Lophophyllidium sp.) stands out, not only amongst Utah corals, but is probably at the top worldwide for its coloration, patterns, and specimen quality. Another red fossilized coral is found in Arizona. Arizona fossilized coral is a unique combination of red jasper with a soft yellowish calcite center and bits of sparkly crystal druzy. While they may not make the highest quality cabochons for jewelry, they are certainly interesting in structure and coloration. But then, there are the Michigan corals. They deserve their own paragraph.

Midwestern United States:

Probably the most infamous fossilized coral is the Michigan Petosky Stone, known for its gray body and darker gray eyes. But, there are so many more corals overshadowed by the Petosky. Take, for instance, the lowly chain coral (Halycites sp.). What a fascinating coral structure that looks like a chain necklace! Then, there are Charlevoix stones, Cladopora, and so many more! Although I don’t have examples here, other parts of the Midwest are home to lovely fossil corals.

Southern United States:

While the Petosky stone probably holds the most popular title, Florida’s Tampa Bay agatized corals are downright breathtaking. However, if you’re a coral purist, you may find yourself saddened that very few of the specimens display any remnants of the coral polyps. These agatized corals are so fully agatized that very few traces of the original structure remain. In the slideshow below, the orange piece shows miniscule traces of the original polyps along the white outer edge.

Northwestern United States

If all the fossilized corals in the United States weren’t enough, there’s other fossilized sea life, particularly Stromatolites and Oncolites, which are various microbial remnants, primarily mats and orbs of cyanobacteria. And… let’s not forget the famous Turritella agate (although it’s a freshwater snail species).

Utah Agatized Horn Coral Cabochon and Rough
Utah Horn Coral Cabochon and Rough
Arizona Agatized Coral Cabochon and Rough
Michigan Chain Coral (“Halycites”) Cabochon and Rough
Michigan Petosky Stone Cabochon and Rough
Tampa Bay, Florida Agatized Coral Cabochon
Wyoming Crinoid (Sea Lily) Cabochon and Rough
Stromatolite (Cyanobacteria Mat) Cabochon and Rough
Oncolites (Cyanobacteria orbs) Cabochon and Rough
Utah Horn Coral Slab
Michigan Cladopora Coral Slab
Michigan Petosky (Hexagonaria percarinata) Slab

Morocco Agatized Coral and Marine Life

It’s incredible to me that one of the most dazzlingly yellow pieces here is stromatolite (microbial mat, primarily cyanobacteria). The ketchup-and-mustard combination, swirled together amidst crystallized valleys, creates a stunning piece. In contrast, while the Actinocyanthus coral cabochon may not boast spectacular coloration, it compensates with exquisite detail in the polyp structure. Some specimens simply look like modern specimens filled with resin; they’re incredible.

Morocco Stromatolite (Cyanobacteria Mats) Cabochon
Morocco Actinocyanthus Cabochon and Rough

Mexico Agatized/Crystallized Coral

I rarely find agatized coral from Mexico (in fact, I only have two slabs), but both are extraordinary. They feature botryoidal formations (bubbly-round structures), crystals, and agate mixed amongst the jasper in varying shades of pinks, grays, and browns.

Mexico Agatized/Crystallized Coral Cabochon
Mexican Agatized Coral Rough
Mexican Agatized and Crystallized Coral Rough

United Kingdom Agatized Coral

My only specimen from the United Kingdom is what I believe is this Lithostrotion coral. It features crystalline tubes surrounded by a dark jasper. No polyp structures are evident.

United Kingdom Lithostrotion Agatized Coral Cabochon and Rough

Unidentified Locale Agatized Coral and Marine Life

These are all unique pieces obtained from various sources, but they also came without any origin information. If you have any insights to these pieces, please let me know!

Unidentified Agatized Coral Cabochon and Rough
Invertebrate Mortality Plate Cabochon and Rough
Stromatolite (Cyanobacteria Mat) Cabochon
Unidentified Agatized Coral Cabochon and Rough

Conclusion:

Agatized corals are a great way to learn about ancient fossilized oceans and the predecessors to our current coral reefs. By studying the past, embracing the present, and planning for the future, maybe we can continue the fairytale of CoralEverAfter with a happy ending.

To Learn More:

If you would like to learn more about fossilized corals, their identification, and their structures, this website *rocks*!

Introduction to Pipe Organ Corals

reefdup Corals October 20, 2023October 20, 2023Dying Coral, fragging, hard to keep, large polyp, pipe organ, quarantine, soft coral, softies, softy, Tubipora musica 0 Comment

Naturally white Pipe Organ (Tubipora musica?) coral

Pipe Organ corals (Tubipora musica) are absolutely amazing, in my opinion. They build red tubes for each polyp, and the varying heights of those tubes makes the coral look like… wait for it… a pipe organ! Their polyps extend out from the tubes and wave in the current. The green variety makes a great alternative to green star polyps, for those who like the wavy green mats but would prefer something a bit less invasive. With years of success keeping and sharing these unique beauties, hopefully this introduction to Pipe Organ corals will help others.

Pipe Organ (Tubipora musica) coral colony

When I entered the reefkeeping hobby back in the 00’s (wow – I’m old), Pipe Organ corals were on the no-go list, as they typically slowly diminished in most aquariums. Of course, as a newbie, I didn’t do my research and bought a fantastic green one. Somehow, some way, I managed to keep it… and it thrived! Over the many years I had it, I fragged it over a hundred times. This is it a bit browned out from high nutrients (note the green hair algae).

Then, when a local fish store heard of my success, they gave me a dying white one (not bleached) to try. Again, I had success! It turned into one of the most stunning corals I’ve ever had. (And, to be clear, the coral stayed a very slight peach color for years, as shown in this photo.)

So, based on my success over years, here is what I’ve learned. First, knowing what they are is key. Pipe organ corals are usually mistakenly categorized as “large polyp stony corals” as they form solid tubes, but they are actually classified as soft corals. However, their care level is more intensive than most soft corals.

Quarantine and Treatment of Pipe Organ Corals:

Recovering Pipe Organ (Tubipora musica) coral

Since the Pipe Organ coral is made of tubes, there are tons of perfect living spaces for all sorts of creatures. Be aware that the pipe organ could harbor bristle worms, flat worms, and lots of detritus. Use of a good coral dip and quarantine will help prevent unwanted organisms.

I took this coral in to rescue it. Note the complete lack of tissue on the tubes near the polyps. However, the skeleton is mostly clear of algae, and the coral’s degradation has occurred over a long period of time. If the skeleton was covered in algae, the coral would likely struggle to recover more. [Learn more about assessing coral health]

Lighting:

The green variety definitely requires higher light than the white variety, as it easily will brown out in lower light. I usually kept the green ones up on the rocks with my SPS corals and the white ones down on the sand bed. Although, as with all corals, an initial acclimation period is recommended.

Flow:

Pipe Organ Coral (Tubipora musica) polyps

This is tricky. Flow must be high enough to prevent detritus from settling on/in the tubes, but low enough to not whip the delicate polyps around. Detritus settlement is a huge concern as it will fuel algal growth, which will, in turn, outgrow the coral.

Nutrients:

As stated above, nutrients are a huge concern, as any algae covering the Pipe Organ coral tubes will prevent the coral from extending its polyps. I do not recommend pipe organ corals for aquariums having an issue with cyanobacteria, hair algae, or other invasive alga. I’ve seen recommendations that Pipe Organ corals need pristine water parameters, with phosphate and nitrate levels toward those recommended for SPS (nearly undetectable). However, that has not been my experience. They seem to tolerate high nutrients well, as long as there is no nuisance algae on the colony.

In my experience, Pipe Organ corals also don’t appreciate target feeding. I’ve tried various foods and various methods, but they all result in the coral polyps “wilting.” As soon as the food touches their polyps, the polyps just shrivel and droop, which more resembles a defense mechanism than feeding.

Since the coral is made of tubes, there are tons of areas for detritus collection. If the coral is not opening, the tubes can be blown off lightly with a turkey baster to help remove detritus. The can tubes grow in a structure similar to the inside of bamboo with internal closures. If the coral is not kept free of detritus, portions of the tubes can trap the detritus indefinitely. This may leach nutrients from the colony over time and may cause issues in the future.

Other Water Parameters:

While I was not concerned with higher phosphate and nitrate levels for Pipe Organ corals, I was concerned with maintaining proper alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium levels. These corals may not be growing the typical SPS or LPS skeletons, but they are still creating massive structures. While I won’t debate the “proper” ranges here, I have always maintained my tanks around Alk: 9 dKh, Ca: 425 ppm, and Mag: 1350 ppm. But, that’s just me, and it seems to work just fine.

Fragging Pipe Organ Corals:

Pipe Organ (Tubipora musica) coral frags

I believe the lack of success from decades ago came from poor fragging. Most colonies imported were chopped very close to the top of the polyp, which ended up chopping the body of the polyp itself. I highly discourage the use of bone cutters on pipe organs since the cutters are more likely to crush the coral than cut it. Instead, I recommend a razor blade. Cut a healthy specimen from the top downward, hopefully going between tubes. Keep as much tube height as possible as it is hard to determine where the polyp is inside. Use cyanoacrylate (super glue gel) to mount the frag on a piece of rubble or plug. Within about a week, small fleshy bumps should appear, as shown, as the start of new tubes. They usually start about a centimeter down from the top of the red tube and form a horizontal base around the tube. It is these horizontal attachment points that the razor blade should cut through during fragging, rather than the tubes themselves.

When All Else Fails:

If a pipe organ dies, its skeleton is still useful. They are gorgeous additions to fish-only aquariums due to their bright red natural coloration. They are also great in sumps due to their porosity (great hiding places for all sorts of critters). My favorite way to recycle the skeleton is to crush it up and add it to a white sand bed. The red dots contrast beautifully with a stark white background.

Conclusion:

Pipe Organ corals are a beautiful addition to a reef tank, and they do not deserve the reputation they have received. Their red skeletons provide a bright pop of unique color, and their polyps provide interesting movement within the tank.

Blue Sun Coral (Tubastraea sp.): A Natural Rarity?

reefdup Corals, Sun Corals August 28, 2021August 28, 2021Artificial Color, Blue Sun Coral, brown jelly disease, Coral, Dyed Coral, Dying Coral, non-photosynthetic, nps, Planula, Spawn, spawning, Sun Coral, Tubastrea 0 Comment

When I started in the hobby in 2008, there was a legitimate problem with dyed corals and anemones. Sadly, this was not a new problem at that time either. Bleached corals (or even healthy corals) were subjected to dye baths in a dizzying variety of colors, especially in rare shades, such as yellow and blue. Unfortunately, that practice had unsurprisingly deleterious effects on the animals, as the dye interfered with their photosynthesis via zooxanthallae. Fast forward over a decade, and the frequency of dyed corals showing up in local fish stores for sale substantially decreased. So, imagine my shock when a fellow reefkeeper sent me a message about a potentially dyed blue sun coral. The earliest reporting of blue sun corals in the hobby I could find dated back to 2017.

Panic Hits – Artificially Dyed Corals in a Pandemic:

In June 2020, right in the middle of a global pandemic, I was appalled to see reports popping up all over multiple reefkeeping forums and other social media sites claiming that there was a sudden influx of dyed corals. Rehabilitating dyed corals is no picnic; it takes daily feedings, lots of carbon to absorb any free dye, and fast removal of necrotic tissue. Even then, I have never had success with them long-term. Panic started to hit me, as my aquariums were severely neglected thanks to trying to telework and homeschool young children simultaneously. Not only were my tanks ill-prepared, but I couldn’t get the supplies necessary for rehabilitating dying coral. Chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide are two of my main staples to keep clean equipment, and they were nonexistent on shelves at the time.

Assessing Blue Sun Coral Health:

Then, on 8 July 2020, a fellow local reefkeeper posted on Facebook that she had just received one of these (on 18 June) and suspected it was dyed and dying. She was concerned that it was affecting her yellow sun coral too, as it seemed to be losing color. So, it was time for me to do some research!

Although I had a lot of questions, my first question was on how to stabilize the coral. Since the owner believed it was dyed, I needed to determine what dyes could have been used so I could figure out how to remove it. Sun corals are often various shades of orange or yellow, so the idea of getting a solid blue coral seemed a bit crazy to me. In other words, I thought that just adding blue dye to a yellow coral would likely result in a greenish coral. However, I’ve used methylene blue extensively, and I know its staining power! It seemed a plausible dye to overcome the yellow.

While researching the various dyes, I found research suggesting that anemones could safely tolerate methylene blue dye, as it did not affect the anemones’ growth or survival. Additionally, the research found that the anemones only retained the methylene blue for approximately six weeks. This gave me hope. Maybe the sun coral was dyed with methylene blue, so it might live if I could feed it adequately (as a non-photosynthetic coral, there is no zooxanthellae interference). I was also prepared with activated carbon to absorb any leaching dye (although this research on using dragonfruit skin was super interesting!)

Bringing the Coral Home:

Only three days later, on 11 July, we met in a mall parking lot, while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. Even in the hot mid-day sun, the coral was a shocking blue color. I quickly took both the blue and yellow corals home. I followed my standard coral assessment procedure, and several things concerned me.

Determining the Coral’s Condition:

First, I’ve never previously had my hands or equipment get any sort of coloration on them while fragging. Was this the “dye?” I could see blue, yellow, and green colors on this while towel.

Second, the yellow sun coral had a case of “brown jelly disease” starting. This was not good.

Although the tissue appeared dyed, the skeleton of the coral was white as usual. This was not what I expected, especially if the coral was submerged in dye. However, the anemone research referenced above suggests a dye method that may work on just the tissues. At this point, I wasn’t convinced either way on if it was dyed.

Quarantining the Blue Sun Coral:

After initial treatments, I placed the corals into my quarantine tank for observation. I started them on small pellet food, as sometimes that seems easy for corals to digest. Once the coral was regularly eating, I switched it to a varied diet of Roti-Feast, Oyster-Feast, Phyto-Feast, Reef-Roids, and baby mysis shrimp.

Unfortunately, the “brown jelly” spread to my other corals in quarantine, but I was able to keep it from progressing on the yellow sun coral or to the blue sun coral.

About a week after arrival, I was once again convinced that this coral was dyed, as the healing fragmented portion was a dark greenish-yellow. Ah ha!

But this coral decided to just keep me guessing. Wouldn’t the tentacles be blue as well if it was dyed?

Blue Sun Coral Grow-out:

By a month after arrival, I was sure it was natural, as it was just becoming more blue with bright yellowish green polyps. How was that possible?! Methylene blue should’ve mostly dissipated by that point. It had to be natural, right??

Oh but wait… This coral just wants to keep us on the edge of our seats! After four months in my tank, the shadowed areas were turning yellowish green! But, notice the baby polyp – it’s blue! My head was starting to hurt. (And yes, unfortunately I was not feeding the coral as much as necessary, so it was receding. My tanks were quite neglected during COVID-19, as you’ll see by the algae and aiptasia.)

In reviewing the 2017 post photo, the shaded regions display similar coloration.

Spawning of the Blue Sun Coral!

On 12 December 2020, five months after getting the coral, I woke up to find this blue sun coral spawning! And, the planulae were orange (not blue) – suggesting the coloration was natural (and reproduction hopefully not affected).

One of the planulae immediately settled onto the glass, where I watched it eagerly (until it disappeared about three days later).

Blue Sun Coral Spawning

Here are some of the planulae. Unfortunately, none of them survived, or maybe they weren’t even fertilized in the first place.

According to username, “Tennyson,” on Nano-Reef, the dark orange/ brown ones are “duds” while the more yellowish planulae are viable (assuming this is consistent across all sun coral colorations).

(For more reading on sun coral reproduction, please see the references below.)

Although the tank wasn’t exactly clean, both sun corals were appreciating the high nutrient levels!

Final Thoughts:

Although I took this photo under actinic lighting, the blue of the sun coral is very similar to the blue of the Oregon Blue Tort Acropora coral. This amazes me as one is photosynthetic while the other is not. In advertising the Oregon Blue Tort, there are plenty of websites that describe the blue as “so vivid it makes you wonder whether it was injected with an artificial blue pigment,” “often considered the bluest Acropora coral you can buy,” “one of the bluest of the blues,” and “so blue it almost looks fake.” I can see why this blue sun coral was also believed to be dyed!

Conclusion:

Over 13 months later, here it is (under actinics again, so the yellowish green polyps are hard to capture on the camera). I lost four polyps, and a few polyps shrank but are now re-growing. The coloration hasn’t changed a bit. The tissue is brilliant blue, the tentacles are yellowish-green, the oral cavity is yellowish-green, and the center of the polyp is blue. Shaded areas turn yellowish-green, but they regain the brilliant blue color once exposed to light again. This makes me believe it’s a structural blue versus a pigment.

Although I lost four polyps, this gives me an opportunity to clean the skeleton to help identify the coral (to be included at a future point). I am convinced that this coral is not dyed, but I have no explanation for its coloration, especially as blue is rare in nature.

So, let’s celebrate this amazing coral with a happy ending. It was fate that on 25 July 2021, the Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) hosted a virtual meeting with guest speaker, Matt Wandell, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. His topic was on “Use and Care of NPS Corals.” Of course, I had to chat with him about this unusual beauty. I am happy to report that we have made arrangements for at least half of the coral to go on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the fall of 2021 (once the weather cools down).

References:

Arthur Jen, 2017 (original post is now deleted). https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/baby-jb-for-trade-southern-california.333673/

BSA Corals, “Blue Emerald Sun Coral!,” 26 June 2020. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/blue-emerald-sun-coral.733669/

Calfo, Anthony, “The Tragedy of Artificially Dyed Live Corals,” September 2002. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-09/ac/feature/index.php

Fatheree, James, “Aquarium Corals: A Look at the Sun Corals,” Advanced Aquarist, 2011. https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium-corals-a-look-at-the-sun-corals/

Mizrahi, D., Navarrete, S. A., and Flores, A. A. V., “Groups travel further: pelagic metamorphosis and polyp clustering allow higher dispersal potential in sun coral propagules”, Coral Reefs, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 443–448, 2014. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/37522324.pdf

ReefdUp, “Blue Sun Coral Spawning!” 12 December 2020. https://wamas.org/forums/topic/95817-blue-sun-coral-spawning/?_fromLogin=1

Rowlett, Joe, “A Field Guide to Sun Corals,” 2015. https://reefs.com/magazine/field-guide-sun-corals/

Tennyson, “How to tell if a coral is dyed a different color?” 6 July 2020. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-tell-if-a-coral-is-dyed-a-different-color.736716/

Tennyson, “HUGE Sun Coral Spawning event,” 9 October 2019. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/huge-sun-coral-spawning-event.654328/

Wells, CD, Sebens, KP, “Individual marking of soft-bodied subtidal invertebrates in situ – A novel staining technique applied to the giant plumose anemone Metridium farcimen (Tilesius, 1809),” PLOS ONE 12(11): e0188263, 21 November 2017. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188263