Would algae cover a hard coral that is alive?

[cr500_af]

I picked up a piece of LR with orange ricordia on it from a member, and it's doing fine. There were also two (1-2") pieces of some hard coral... shaped like a cactus. That's all I can tell about it because he had a little bit of an algae issue going on. The rock had a fair amount on it. Most is gone now thanks to my CUC, but they didn't touch what was on the corals. They look like they have little brown/green fur coats on.

I broke a piece off while placing the rock, and for the heck of it I mounted it to a plug and put it on my frag rack.

Neither that piece nor the one that is still on the rock have changed their appearance at all in the 2 weeks that have passed. I've seen no polyps or anything from them yet.

I'm guessing that the fact that they are coated means they're dead, right? I can post a pic if need be but it's lights out right now.

 

[smoothie]

Pic would be cool. Sounds like they are just skeletons which are more pourous and trap more nutrients that the algae can root and feed on

 

[dakota9]

Never seen algae on living tissue before

 

[chymos45]

+1. Never on live tissue. "just dead" or "mostly dead" (excuse the movie reference), yes, but not on anything healthy.

 

[kirru]

ok, what about on a fish? coraline to be exact... i swear there is some on my scooter blenny. its creepy but gives him some color

sorry to hijack thread but it popped in to my head

 

[chymos45]

Never seen that myself. Pic's?