coral abbreviations

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mogurnda

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Apr 29, 2003
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I'll start with a few.
Two of the most notorious are
SPS: small polyped scleractinian
LPS: large polyped scleractinian
Both are stonies (hard corals), having a stony skeleton in which the polyps sit.

SPS contains species like acropora (tricky to keep) and montipora (relatively easy), but people generally lump SPS as difficult
LPS contains things like bubble, hammer and torch corals, with (surprise!) big polyps.

Occasionally, someone makes noises about eliminating these categories, because there are so many exceptions. Plus, it's not really a natural division, there are families with LPS and SPS species.

Brains are generally considered LPS, although some put them in their own category.

Soft corals are on their own. Often less demanding, certainly need less Ca. They don't have a skeleton, rather have sclerites in a fleshy body.

Then there's GSP, or green star polyps, an easy soft coral that forms mats with vivid green polyps.

I can't think of others offhand.

I don't know if you have looked at Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals book, but I find that it gives a great intro to these things.

Here's a glossary of some reef terms that may help.
 
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