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I was cleaning my tank tonight and noticed a type of budding I had never seen before on one of my "toadstool leathers." Ive attached a few photos of it, but they are blurry as my camera has not been cooperative lately. I hope its clear enough to give you an idea.
When the coral closed up, I noticed 5 small growths coming from just below the capitulum that would normally be completely shaded by the extended parent, most growing with the polyps facing away from the light. The largest is 3/4", the smallest is just starting to bud off. They really remind me of tiny enoki mushrooms. Polyps are apparent, but were not extended- maybe because I had just brushed them with the magfloat. Ill see tomorrow if they actually open.
Is this a common form of reproduction in Sarcophyton-type corals? Its just not one Ive seen before.
A little background- the mother colony was brought to a store I worked at in 1987. It was obtained under the name "Sarcophyton soroja"; whether such a creature even exists, I havent a clue, but the mother is quite well known in this area either as the "Byerlys Leather" or the "Soroja Leather." At its largest it was nearly 50lbs and well over 2x2x2'. In the nearly 20 years it was in the display, it Never divided. I obtained a sliver about 3.5 years ago, which has done wonderfully, but for some reason divides in half every time it grows more than 8" or so across. I dont understand why it grows like this- other local people have pieces of it, and none of them have observed this growth pattern. The buds Im talking about tonight are an altogether new twist. Any thoughts? Thanks!
_____________' "Out of sight, out of mind." Given that the cumulative "mind" of the general human populace is somewhat smaller than a gnat's ***, this out of sight rule works in most cases.' -Dr.RS
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As with the Echinopora post, this is also a very interesting observation. You have a specimen that apparently regularly clones itself asexually by fission and now it "decides" to do something else? And, I have seen others with Sarcophyton producing similar extrusion like drips of tissue, usually after an injury, but never this. As with Ryan in his post, could you keep track of this behavior and keep taking photos? Can you get some really clear ones of these bud-like protrusions?
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Eric Borneman
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Ill try to get a hold of another camera to get some clearer shots here in a couple days. Will keep updating. Thanks!
_____________' "Out of sight, out of mind." Given that the cumulative "mind" of the general human populace is somewhat smaller than a gnat's ***, this out of sight rule works in most cases.' -Dr.RS
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| You mean like this? My Sarcophytons do this regularly. 
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Uh...yeah. That would be it. Happens all the time, you say?
OK, I feel dumb - so this is apparently not uncommon, but as far as I am aware is an unreported form of asexual budding for the genus. I'll have to go back and do some literature review. Thanks, C.
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Eric Borneman
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 They grow bigger until they contact the substrate and then detach as individuals. See you in a few days--
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Same budding is happening here, on a quite small frag, not even 2" high.
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I've had this happen with mine as well, and my Fiji was doing it recently, I'll have to check and see if the buds are still there.
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Well.. apparently not as odd as I had thought- haha.
Still, whats interesting to me is why the coral would 'choose' to use several different modes of asexual reproduction, when tank conditions have remained virtually the same for so many years...
_____________' "Out of sight, out of mind." Given that the cumulative "mind" of the general human populace is somewhat smaller than a gnat's ***, this out of sight rule works in most cases.' -Dr.RS
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