Large Zoanthid Colonies Needed

In recent Reef Threads podcasts Christine and I have discussed the unique beauty of soft-coral aquariums and how they should be viewed with more enthusiasm by hobbyists. As part of our discussions we’ve talked about how uncommon it is to see decent-sized zoanthid colonies. Most zoanthid collectors tend to have a lot of small clusters on frag plugs rather than mature colonies that play a notable role in their overall coralscapes.
   Those discussions prompted me to look back in my archives to see what photos I have of larger colonies. I was surprised to discover that I have several such images. So many that it was a challenge to select a handful for this article.
   Finding and viewing these images confirmed for me that we need to see more large colonies because a large collection of zoanthid polyps is a visual treat. Regardless of the morph, their varied colors add something that few other corals can contribute to a reef aquarium.-Gary L. Parr, www.gparr.com, www.reefthreads.com