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Goniopora PPI (Pre-Purchase
Inspection):
All too often, Goniopora
are harvested and shipped in a rough manner that damages
the coral’s tissue. They are then placed in
the care of a local fish store employee who may or
may not know how to properly acclimate, feed, and
maintain the coral. On top of this, they are regularly
bought on an impulse without the purchaser having
any prior knowledge of the coral’s care and
maintenance requirements. When these occurrences are
coupled with the fact that many local fish stores
falsely promote the coral as “easy to keep”,
it becomes clear to see how Goniopora has received
the distinguished reputation of being notoriously
difficult to maintain in captivity, if not impossible.
As a sincere hobbyist, it is your right and duty to
first research, inspect, and examine the Goniopora
coral that you are considering for purchase. There
are a number of potential problems with keeping Goniopora
that can be avoided by learning how to identify the
signs and symptoms of an unhealthy specimen. It will
also prove to be a great help to view images of healthy
Goniopora prior to purchasing one. By knowing what
to look for beforehand, you may vastly improve your
chances of having “good luck” with your
new coral.
Inspect the coral’s initial
appearance and associated behavior before it is removed
from the display tank:
A. First Impression: Do the polyps
appear to be extended or retracted?
The polyps should appear extended
and full. The tentacles surrounding the mouths should
also be extended. Several species of Goniopora often
retract for short periods of time during the day,
so some polyp retraction is a normal behavior. Prolonged
periods of polyp retraction for more than 24 hours
is not a normal behavior and could be caused from
a variety of circumstances. Also, it is important
to be aware that there are shorter polyped species
which can appear retracted when compared to longer
polyped species.
B. Color: Does it display a natural
color?
White, bright yellow, and fluorescent
green looking Goniopora are considered “bleached”
specimens, which means they are lacking zooxanthellae
within their tissue. Goniopora in this condition look
very unnatural and in many instances, their polyps
will remain somewhat retracted until the zooxanthellae
densities increase. There have even been some instances
of dyed specimens being sold.
C. Nutrition: Do the tentacles surrounding
the mouths appear as short unextended nubs?
Goniopora that are deprived of nutrition
begin to regress in appearance. The tentacles shorten
dramatically, the polyps become shorter, and the mouths
become smaller. In extreme stages of malnutrition,
the tissue recedes in areas and exposes the skeleton
underneath. They may occasionally be harvested from
the ocean in a state of malnutrition. The tissue perimeter
of a healthy specimen will form a distinct line of
growth, which usually appears lighter in color and
contains the beginnings of new polyps. The early stages
of malnutrition are easily reversed through proper
feeding.
D. Wounds: Do any of the polyps appear
to be folded over or criss-crossed over one another?
Wounds on Goniopora are often very
difficult to detect unless the coral is completely
retracted. When extended, Goniopora will fold or criss-cross
several polyps over a wounded area and sometimes they
will even bend their polyps back enough to place their
mouths on the wound. Wounds can be identified as torn
or abraded tissue that may be exposing the skeletal
base, missing polyps that appear as “holes”
in the coral, or even areas of brown jelly infection.
In the case of brown jelly, the affected polyps are
usually retracted and the brown “jelly”
will more than likely be obvious. Avoid purchasing
a goniopora that has the appearance of having "holes"
where the polyp is deteriorating or completely missing
and the exposed skeleton has a brownish looking algae
on it. The coral will more than likely have to be
completely retracted in order to see this. When it
is extended, it will not fold or criss-cross it's
polyps over the area as it would if it were a wound.
To my knowledge, this is an untreatable ailment that
will lead to the coral's death.
E. Exposed Skeleton: Does the coral
display any areas of newly exposed skeleton?
Newly exposed skeleton appears whitish
in color and is usually found around the perimeter
of the coral tissue. If there were polyps missing
or abraded tissue, the skeleton may appear in these
areas too. The three main reasons for skeletal exposure
are tissue damage from rough handling, tissue recession
from malnutrition, and tissue recession from an unknown
ailment (Ostreobium?). Exposed areas are highly susceptible
to algae growth, which inhibits tissue regrowth, and
also to brown jelly infections; especially around
the tissue perimeter where the tissue meets the exposed
skeleton.
F. Placement: Where is it currently
placed?
If the coral is located on the sandbed,
which is the most common placement for them, you will
want to keep an eye out for brown jelly infections
occurring around the tissue perimeter where the tissue
touches the substrate. Several species of Goniopora
will often appear as “free-living” specimens,
but in actuality they have been cut or broken off
close enough to their base to sit flat and give the
false impression of being “free living”.
These species can be identified by the attachment
scar on the underside of the coral. If the coral is
located on the rockwork, it is important to check
for tissue abrasion due to hermit crabs, emerald crabs,
and/or other creatures moving them around or knocking
them off. Emerald crabs can easily flip over a smaller
Goniopora.
Unfortunately, some of the signs and
symptoms to look for during a pre-purchase inspection
may not be readily apparent. You will want to confirm
your observations by doing a full examination of the
coral after it is taken out of the display. Make sure
the LFS worker causes the coral retract ALL OF THE
WAY by very gently waving the surrounding water or
gently brushing the polyps until they retract. The
tissue can rip and tear very easily and gripping a
coral tightly while it is still partially extended
can subject the polyps and/or tentacles to getting
pinched and torn on the rough edges of the skeleton.
All of the points listed in this section will help
to deduce a specimen’s current state of health,
which will then make the choice of whether or not
to purchase it much easier. A few more things to take
note of while at the LFS; the type of lighting the
coral is under, the kind of water flow it is sitting
in, the overall water parameters of the display tank
(temp, ph, calcium), and the use of any supplements.
If you purchase a coral with any sign of tissue damage,
it would be best to have an iodine solution on hand
as a preventative measure against any potential infection
that may occur. A healthy Goniopora that has suffered
minor tissue damage, which is common, will normally
recover fairly quick if given the proper care.
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