Do goniopora drop babies?

[JeanR]

So I have a couple goniopora, which I love. About a month ago my largest Goni started retracting its long tentacles. I didn't think too much about it the first few weeks as the other 5 gonis were doing well. After a few weeks I decided maybe something was going on and I decided to dip and inspect it to see if there was some pest or something else.

No evidence of pests but on inspection I noticed there was a weird tiny hard ball attached to the main skeleton. The ball was covered in Goni flesh and has a few visible polyps on it (see picture). That nub was hard (skeletal) and wobbly to the touch, like it was getting ready to drop off.

Anyone ever seen anything like this and have a reasonable explanation?

 

[Chris L]

I actually had this happen years ago, I have a small piece drop off and it started to grow. I unfortunately had a tank crash ( was on my office desk at work ) and I lost it

 

[Greg Hiller]

Yes, they are known to drop babies.

 

[frank180reef]

Yes