Limited Edition Red Watermelon Alien Eye Echinophyllia sp.
Red Watermelon Alien Eye Hugo Zuniga's Parent Section January 29 2006. Note how this coral has all the
pigment characteristics of a Watermelon Alien Eye Coral in addition to a very intense Red dominant coloration.
The original Watermelon Alien Eye Echinophyllia species coral has absolutely
incredible pigmentation patterns. The base pigmentation is dominated by bright
pink pigments mixed with some underlying blue pigments. Corallites are bright
green and the edge of the colony has a bright green trim. The green trim can also
contain other pigments. That combination of colors gives the original Watermelon
coral an overall similarity to a slice of watermelon. A more detailed examination
of the bright green corallites reveals that there are dots of color that appear to
have been splashed on the green. The new Red Watermelon coral has all the pigment
characteristics of the original Watermelon Alien Eye, but instead of bright pink
this Watermelon has Bright Red Pigments on its main base. This bright red pigment
makes the new coral even more intensely pigmented then the original. Reeffarmers.com
acquired our fragment from Hugo Zuniga of Orange County California
snipersps.
Hugo found this coral in a retail shop within Southern California during late summer
2005. It originally only had a faint reddish pigmentation over its surface and was
slightly damaged. Hugo was able to save a small section of the original colony. The
bright red pigment then slowly developed within a few months. Hugo has distributed
about 10 total fragments to date. Recently he sold 1/2 of his parent colony to Dave
Whitham davewhit3@cablemo.net.
Fragments of Dave's second generation coral have recently sold in the
$400 to $500 price range. Steve Tyree is maintaining a farmed section of this coral
for reeffarmers.com in one of his 125 gallon naturally filtered Tri-Zonal Reef
Aquariums. In Steve's captive reef the coral is positoned to recieve moderate to weak
light under a 400 watt 20,000 K Radium Metal Halide. Limited Edition Reservation price
is currently $200 per small sized fragment. The bimonthly limited edition reservation
schedules can be found below.
Three Alien Eye Corals from Hugo Zuniga's Reef Late January 2006. The Alien Eye on the far left is the original
Tubs Alien Eye. The Alien Eye on the far right is the original Watermelon Alien Eye. Within the center is
the new Red Watermelon Alien Eye. Note how this new Watermelon has an intense bright Red pigmentation.