Psammocora contigua
Picture was taken in December 1999 with a Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital Camera, No Flash

Obtained October 11th, 1999.

This colony of Psammocora contigua. is growing under a Sea Rod Gorgonian that was given to me by Jim Fox (aka MiNdErAsR). It is actually growing in the dark shadows of the gorgonian and its being covered by polyps and zoanthids.

Psammocora contigua
Picture was taken in July 2000 with a Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital Camera, No Flash

This is a slightly blury picture of two Psammocora frags taken off of the parent colony (pictured above). The frags were done several months earlier but had shown very little growth. As pictured the two frags have not only encrusted a new base but have joined each other into a single colony.

This colony as pictured is less than inch in long.

Psammocora contigua
Picture was taken in October 2000 with a Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital Camera, No Flash

This picture is 3 months later. You can see some significant growth in this coral from the last picture. No signs of any upward growth yet but I do expect that to happen shortly.

The coral is roughly about 2 inches long.

Psammocora contigua
Picture was taken in December 2001 with a Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital Camera, No Flash

This picture is 14 months later. It now has considerable growth but yet is a very slow grower. You can also see a sign of the mushrooms starting to take over my tank. It's a constant battle killing the mushrooms to protect this coral.

The coral is roughly about 4 inches long and nearly 2 inches high.

Psammocora contigua
Picture was taken in March 2002 with a Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital Camera, No Flash

This coral is such a slow grower, in three months it shows very little outward growth. Perhaps it encrusted a bit more but no new branches. I am amazed at its ability to survive against the mushrooms. Most corals die on contact. This coral does take a beating but the fresh does not seem to die from direct contact. Once I remove the mushrooms the flesh looks pretty good in a few days. In the lower right of the picture is a plating montipora that is getting very close but seems to be losing. The montipora is infront of the Psammocora not directly contacting it.