What is this Coral?

[Snappy]

Originally Posted by justinl

Greg, the ones you see on the rocks probably just technically aren't xmas tree worms...

Actually yes they are, I don't want to sound like a jerk but I think I have enough experience both in this hobby and as a diver to know the difference between a feather duster and a xmas tree worm. They are very commom in orange, red, blue and grey in the Puerto Vallarta area and host in solid rock. They bore a hole just like they do in the corals. I recommend you go diving at Los Arcos for example and then come back and tell me they aren't xmas tree worms.
But if you go can I come too? We'll have a blast..

I've never even heard of this species...how does it differ from Porites? It looks VERY similar. If this is true (and I doubt it very little), then I bet there are A LOT of misidentified Porites out there!

It is an LPS and Porites is SPS, the polyps are completely different. As they get bigger the difference if more prodominant.
Here is a picture (magnified) I just took of mine. At night the regular polyps start to retract and if you look closely you'll see sweepers starting to extend in a few places. In a few more hours it will be a mass of tenticles.

[justinl]

hm, well in that case, it is interesting. Rob toonen (the guy who wrote the article i posted) thinks that Spirobranchs can't live in the wild without the protection from a live coral colony because boring animals like urchins and parrotfish would eat away at the worms' tubes as well as the dead skeleton they live in indiscriminately... thus exposing the worm to all sorts of nasties. Wonder if maybe some of the worms just evolved a defense mechanism to combat that sort of situation. something to think about at least.

lol next time Im over in Puerto Vallarta, Ill let you know!

edit: fro the record, the disagreement was a respectful one. Didn't mean to come across as an *** lookin for a fight.