Hammer Coral Anomaly?
 

Just had a close look at a 3 head hammer coral frag I have and noticed a large bubble in the center where it's oral opening is. Anyone seen or experienced anything like this? It's kind of freaky and I'm waiting for it to explode?

http://hlj1yw.blu.livefilestore.com/.../P1030266a.JPG

never seen anything like it maybe microbubbles?????

Just let it be for now till you know what has happened and what to do. The only thing I would continplate is move to realy low flow area for now. Maybr it's just has excess gas buildup and has to exspunge some.:lol::redface:

Bill

I just seen 3 like that in a store today, so strange you should mention it on a posting.

I had this too for a while. From what I've been able to find I believe this is just a growth stage. Apparently some, but not all, hammers will do this at some point. It is believed to be a polyp fission stage that usually comes after the hammer is moved into more favourable growing conditions or a new tank.

Give it about a month and it'll go away and your hammer will be bigger and better than before. Mine started with one of those 'bubbles' and then 4 more showed up. A month later they were all gone and the hammer was huge. Don't poke at it or anything as you can damage the flesh and potentially kill the polyp while it's in this stressed phase.

had the same thing a few years back (see here), did it a few times then nothing like it since. They just deflated on their own.

We have seen this with ours, in the spliting process.

both of my hammers are splitting heads and nothing lik this has happened to them.

Bill

It's fine it will drip off and a new hammer will grow from it ......happened to my closed brain

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...r/IMG_0256.jpg

Actually it's pretty common. I've seen my hammers, torches and even Aussie elegances do it now and then. Nothing to be concerned about. Just keep an eye out for brown jelly.

Great, thanks for all the replies. It seems to deflate in the evening again and was quite large during the day today as well. I usually don't mess with anything until I find out what's up, so no, I won't be poking at it.

As far as branching, I don't think that's what is happening since the bubble is emanating from the 'mouth' in the center. Both this small 3 headed frag and the mother colony are growing small sports along their hard/calcified skeletons. It's not a polyp that's doing the bubble, just the 'mouth'. My BTA was doing a similar deal (for quite a long time), thought I was going to lose it, but it's looking better than ever these days.