Hammer coral growth?

[the reef kid]

Well, they're so tiny that I can't get a pic, but on the fleshy part of my hammer, just below the head itself, there are these little studs that are really really small, like just barely bigger than the tip of a pencil, that have what looks to be the same skeleton as a dead LPS, but it is covered in flesh. I accidentally noticed them when I was moving the frag, and when I touched them, they were hard. I though they grew by splitting the head, and then the two heads go their seperate ways, like other LPS...are hammers different?

 

[reeffreak]

What you are describing is another way branching LPS corals reproduce.Tiny branches growing from the base.Heads splitting in two is another way.

 

[the reef kid]

Ok, none of my other LPS heve done this, but whatever, I have 3-4 new heads, so I'm fine.

 

[reeffreak]

I've had frogspawn and hammer corals reproduce just as you described.

 

[Bifferwine]

I have had them reproduce both ways as well. It seems to depend on the individual. The ones I have had split at the heads do not branch off at the base, and vice versa.

 

[lilduud]

my frogspawn is splitting heads but biff ya know that "dead" head that you noted for me, it looks almost like there is flesh growing on the outside barely... is it possible that its turning into another head?

 

[yote]

Yeah,Its possible that there is a new head growing on what you thought was dead skeleton.

 

[Melosu58]

I have a branching hammer and frogspawn do the same thing. Just adding branches.