Rehabilitation Archives - Page 4 of 5

Fungia Rehabilitation

reefdup Fungia, Rehabilitation June 28, 2020June 28, 2020coral sting, Dying Coral, Fungia, plate coral, Rescue Coral 1 Comment

Here is part II of the Fungia rehabilitation story request! The previous post focused on Fungia reproduction (anthocauli) that formed after the coral died. This one will focus on coral recovery.

This Fungia was stung, and I took it home on 29 December 2012.

By 26 January 2012, the coral was regrowing over its old skeleton. At this point, I decided to trim the remaining skeleton.

This coral loved to ingest sand – I assume this was to filter out food. Notice the sand particles along the body of the coral. The coral would move the sand particles onto its body, use its tentacles and inflate its body to move the particles to its mouth, and then dump the sand onto the other side. (30 June 2012)

Even after a year later (6 January 2013), the coral had not regrown its circular shape. In fact, it had not done much of anything.

Here it is on 16 June 2013. Notice how the mouth appears to be moving outward (the sides are now becoming more acute than obtuse). This is opposite behavior from what I expected.

I can’t say that I’m thrilled with this recovery, especially after a year and a half. Maybe next time I’ll leave the skeleton alone to see what happens. But, a lop-sided coral is better than a dead coral any day!

Fungia Coral Reproduction

reefdup Fungia, Rehabilitation June 28, 2020January 31, 2021anthocauli, Baby coral, Dying Coral, Fungia, plate coral, reproduction, Rescue Coral 0 Comment

A reader requested a Fungia rescue story, so here you go! I received this essentially dead Fungia coral on 12 January 2019, and I wanted to see if I could see Fungia coral reproduction in the form of anthocauli.

Anthocauli are essentially tiny clones from the parent coral that may form when the parent is stressed or dying in a final attempt to reproduce. Extremely small amounts of Fungia tissue appear capable of re-growing into full-sized corals. When the anthocauli are removed from the parent skeleton, new anthocauli may even regrow from that spot! One parent skeleton can act as a Fungia farm, constantly regrowing babies. How cool is that?

A good way to search for anthocauli is with a UV-light, as the babies may fluoresce.

Unfortunately, months went by with no sign of life. Eventually I placed it into an unused dark corner of my tank as a sad reminder of a failure – and encouragement to learn and try again.

Fungia Coral Anthocauli:

The skeleton was covered in various forms of algae and had no sign of tissue whatsoever for months. I had lost all hope, but I still happened to check on the coral occasionally. Eventually I saw this (the red circles) on 24 October 2019. There were new anthocauli – baby Fungia plate corals! It had reproduced after all!

As of 19 June 2020, three anthocauli remain. Unfortunately a bout with Lyngbia killed the others. Hopefully these three will continue to grow!

The timeline for this one example was 10 months, from decay to anthocauli presence. Had I not had the Lyngbia, I imagine the babies would be larger (and more would remain). I’d love to hear your experience with dying Fungia coral reproduction with anthocauli down in the comments – how long did it take yours to appear?

Check out another Fungia coral rehabilitation here!

Fungia Coral Anthocauli — Dying Fungia Coral Rehabilitation

Wellsophyllia Rehabilitation

reefdup Rehabilitation, Wellsophyllia June 27, 2020June 27, 2020bleaching, Dying Coral, rehabilitated, Rescue Coral, Trachyphyllia, wellsophyllia 0 Comment

Wellsophyllia… Trachyphyllia… “What’s in a name?” The jury appears to still be out as the genus has changed a few times over the last several years.

Regardless, this poor coral had asymmetrical bleaching, which is not only unusual, it can be due to an infection (rather than environmental factors, such as light). (10 February 2013)

By 31 March 2013, the bleaching part was dying or dead. But, I had hope, as the bleaching portion was not spreading. The healthy portion of the coral was regrowing over one area of the dead section.

After only four months (16 June 2013), the coral was essentially recovered!

And here it is under actinics.

This could have had a much different outcome. Rather than the entire coral bleaching and dying, we were able to save it with just four months of care.

Favites Rehabilitation

reefdup Favites, Rehabilitation June 27, 2020June 27, 2020Dying Coral, Favites, rehabilitated, Rescue Coral 0 Comment

I found these remnants of a Favites coral at a fish store and wanted to help it out. (24 February 2019)

Less than a month later (19 March 2019), the coral was starting to regrow.

At the eight month point (23 October 2019), the coral was nearly recovered.

Although this Favites coral was slow to recover, it is now growing quickly, as shown here on 25 May 2020.

What a fantastic recovery after a year and a half! Although it was a long road, it is great to see another coral saved from the calcium reactor.

Trachyphyllia Rehabilitation

reefdup Rehabilitation, Trachyphyllia June 27, 2020June 27, 2020Dying Coral, Rehabilitation, Rescue Coral, Stung coral, Trachyphyllia 0 Comment

Another coral stung this Trachyphyllia, and then the trachy continued to die after the initial injury. (8 January 2012)

Here’s another view of the damage.

Unfortunately, I don’t have good photos of the coral throughout the recovery process, but here it is, roughly a year later, on 6 January 2013. Although it looks significantly smaller than the original colony’s healthy tissue, there is a frag not shown.

This was never a fast-growing coral for me, but here it is on 16 June 2016, over four years later.

With just a year and proper care, the coral went from dying to thriving.

Lobophyllia Rehabilitation

reefdup Lobophyllia, Rehabilitation June 26, 2020June 27, 2020Bubble Algae, Caulerpa, Dying Coral, Lobophyllia, Rehabilitation, Rescue Coral 5 Comments

On 8 January 2012, I received this dying Lobophyllia coral. It was covered in several nuisance species of algae, and it had both old and new damage.

Here it is overexposed for a better view of its condition.

As you can see, the bubble algae was quite severe.

By 13 May 2012, the coral was healed and regrowing.

What a difference only four months can make!

Scolymia Rehabilitation

reefdup Rehabilitation, Scolymia June 26, 2020January 17, 2021Dying Coral, Rescue Coral, Scolymia, Stung 0 Comment

On 3 March 2012, I received this badly stung Scolymia coral.

By 14 April 2012, a little over a month later, the coral was healed and starting to recover.

At the two-month point (14 May 2012), the coral was a voracious eater.

After nearly four months (30 June 2012), the coral was starting to fill out.

By 7 October 2012, only seven months later, the coral was just looking a bit lop-sided.

One year later (31 March 2013), and the coral was nearly back to its original condition.

Here is the coral on 16 June 2013, as beautiful as ever.

Even after three moves across the country (this coral has been with me in Nevada, Utah, and Virginia), I still have this beautiful Scolymia. Interestingly, in 2016, the coral underwent color changes, as shown here (3 July 2016).

Oh what a difference a year can make!

Dying Homophyllia Bowerbanki Coral Rehabilitation

reefdup Homophyllia, Rehabilitation June 7, 2020January 31, 2021Acanthastrea, Bowerbanki, Dying Coral, Hillae, Homophyllia, Rehabilitation, Rescue Coral 0 Comment

When I received this dying Homophyllia bowerbanki coral, I had no idea what was happening to it, but it was obviously rotting. Most of the tissue had come off in the bag, and the coral stunk extremely bad. I had absolutely no hope for its rehabilitation, but, I couldn’t give up on it either. (8 January 2012)

*Note – Acanthastrea hillae was recently recategorized as Homophyllia bowerbanki.

Coral Quarantine:

By 27 January 2012, the coral had stopped rotting and started to heal.

This is half of the remaining coral, as of 6 February 2012.

Fully Rehabilitated:

Nine months later (7 October 2012), the previously dying Homophyllia bowerbanki coral was fully rehabilitated. One half of the coral is shown. This coral, more than any other, reminded me to keep hope.

Rehabilitated Homophyllia bowerbanki Coral

Plerogyra Rehabilitation

reefdup Plerogyra, Rehabilitation May 30, 2020January 17, 2021Bubble Coral, Coral, Dying Coral, Plerogyra, Rehabilitation 0 Comment

This Plerogyra (“bubble coral”) was significantly damaged on 14 July 2012. The damage was so new that the tissue was still attached.

Although the coral looks worse here (15 August 2012), the damage was stopped.

By 7 October 2012, the coral was mostly recovered and growing again.

Here, the coral is completely recovered and beautiful! (21 October 2012)

Only three months went by between when this Plerogyra (“bubble coral”) was damaged and fully recovered.

Physogyra Rehabilitation

reefdup Physogyra, Rehabilitation May 30, 2020January 17, 2021Bubble Coral, Dying Coral, Physogyra, Plerogyra, Rehabilitation, Rescue Coral 0 Comment

I believe this is a Physogyra coral (closely related to Plerogyra), and I received it on 8 February 2020 in quite bad condition. Most of the tissue was rotting along the edges, and the skeleton was exposed.

By 9 May 2020, the coral was no longer receding, had polyp expansion, and was starting to regrow over its old skeleton.

Here the coral is fluorescing under actinic lighting.

Only three months later, and this Physogyra was well on its way to full recovery!