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Question for those involved in import & the research side...

h20player101

h20player101

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I have been over sdmas.com for the past day and a half (so much for work), and was wondering why we do not see more different species? It seems like everything at LA is secale this, valida that, subulata right here. (I kid, they have an amazing section) Are the other species coming in and being identified incorrectly? I seem to remember someone saying here that you basically need to see the skeleton to be sure what species you have. I am sure there is significantly more species now then even a few years ago, but there are maybe 200+ on sdmas.com site, many growth forms that I have never seen and would love to have even in brown. For the maricultured corals coming in from Bali, I understand, but how about a Acropora irregularis or Acropora derawanensis?!
 
Good question, for the most part species are roughly identified at the collection/mariculture site and are imported as such to obtain proper CITES permitting. Are they correct species names? Often times not, it is merely a name on paperwork that allows the coral to be imported.
 
http://reefbuilders.com/2011/08/24/acropora-derawanensis/
http://reefbuilders.com/2011/11/09/maricultured-bali-acropora/
http://reefbuilders.com/2011/09/27/acropora-elegans/
 
Joost, I have seen those articles and it is really exciting to think there will be more different corals coming frequently. Just look at how NPS has exploded! It does seem though, that with as many wild colonies that are coming in we would have seen more different growth forms. It is frustrating to watch some of the videos on bad collection practices, where they show a diver breaking through coral that I have never seen in the trade, all for a dirt common fish.

Does anyone know who decides what is maricultured? Is the U.S. the largest market for it? Would it be possible to send frags of the "designer" corals to Bali for mariculture? How much involvement does the research side play in mariculture?

It does seem that if nothing else, many of the species we never see would be perfect to have someone get ahead of the curve on mari/aquaculture for both hobbyist and the possibility of reseeding damaged reefs.
 
h20player101 said:
Does anyone know who decides what is maricultured? Is the U.S. the largest market for it? Would it be possible to send frags of the "designer" corals to Bali for mariculture? How much involvement does the research side play in mariculture?
Click to expand...

The companies that grow the corals pick them out, if folks complain down the supply chain then those corals are *generally* omitted depending on the return. Yes AFAIK, the U.S. is the largest market for MOs. No, like any mariculture/aquaculture venture lessons learned have limited greatly what you can and can't do, see the Sabellid polychaete introduced by abalone farmers in the U.S.. You know it's all about money ing the modern age ;)
 
Most of the transhipments that i put away almost all the time there are a few missed marked Acropora sp out of the shipment. Even with the maricultured ones. i usually can figure out what they are by looking it up the Veron Book, but if i can't I just call it Acropora sp. and leave it at that.
 
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