I have always been fascinated by the variations that crop up in asexually propagated coral, and I have spent many determined hours working on locking in these traits for all downstream propagations. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in one of my favorite corals, the new Project X2.

The intense green striping, dense tentacles, and clustering polyps are feature of the X2 line

This coral is a clone of the Project X coral, but the traits of this particular clone line are much different from those expressed in the classic line. These traits have maintained their characteristics in different light and flow regimes, as well as when grown side by side with classic Project X’s. After a year of working with the new coral, the traits are established enough that I feel confident in releasing this strain to the public.

This is the X2 surrounded by other X2s and classic Project Xs

This is the classic Project X for comparison

I look forward to bringing more of these types of variants to the hobby, and am excited at the prospect that new lines of coral can be developed through asexual reproduction without the need for wild collection. Check out the official press release below from the ReefGen corporate office:

December 15, 2014
ReefGen
Riverhead, NY

Reef Gen is proud to announce the release of another variant in the Project line of 100% aquacultured corals.  ReefGen is partnering with LiveAquaria to bring the first Project X2 colonies to the public. The Project X2 is very special encrusting fungia that is an evolution of the original Project X coral and is identified by its densely packed, bright green tentacles and vibrant purple base.

The Project X2 is of the same clonal lineage as the original Project X but has undergone a change in morphology in our grow-out systems.  In propagating the original Project X, we found that certain lines of tissue culture were developing increased green striping on the oral disk, greater tentacle density, and more vibrant color. We’ve theorized that these changes result from variation in gene expression and symbiont populations from the mother colonies, and is a very promising technique for refined coral propagation. All downstream propagations of this strain of coral exhibit the same coloring and morphology

Though we can produce the Project X2 consistently, availability will be extremely limited initially.  Please check with your local or online Reef Gen distributer for pricing and availability.