Paly vs zoa - difference?

What is the difference between a paly and a zoa? It seems the name is interchangeable and now I'm confused.

Are these palys or zoas (right in front of the tang's head).

 

the piece in front of the tang are zoas, zoas generally have smaller polyps and smaller stalks thats palys.

p.s. that tang is awesome

 

Thanks cageburn. I asked this because a few nights ago I fed this frag some phyto feast and they did something I've never seem them do. The small orange points puffed up really big and fat and there was some slimy stuff coming off the frag. I couldn't tell if they were happy or dying! They are back to normal now so I'm assuming they liked what I gave them.

What was the slimy stuff?

 

no prob, hmmm not quite sure on that one, was the slimy stuff brown? may have been poop lol. with zoas you can target feed phyto if you want but Ive never really seen it make a huge difference, with palys though you can train them to accept small meaty foods like cyclopseeze and they LOVE it. Ive tried small amounts of cyclopse with zoas but they never got the hang of it :\

aslo if you have a choice try out DT's phyto

 

I've had the zoas for about 9 months and when I first got them, LFS recommended feeding DT. I bought some and used it a few times. Got no response from the zoas but did get a nice algae bloom in my tank (grumble, grumble). I also have a frag or large green palys that I just got at the Midwest Frag Fest a few weeks ago. They readily eat meaty pieces when I feed Rod's food.

As for the slimy stuff....it was clear, tinted green from the phyto feast.

 

Dt's is great stuff. Only phyto I use. Try feeding less phyto to the tank, very easy to over feed, its great stuff lol.

hmm, still not sure. Might have been the phyto itsself mixed with the semi slimy surface of the polyp?

 

They probably came from being so excited about the food. Its like an OH face :O