Flora & Fauna

Delicate branching SPS with thin, pointed branches arranged like a bird's nest. One of the fastest-growing SPS corals — ideal for fragging. Available in pink, purple, green, and yellow morphs.

Bubble coral is a distinctive LPS coral whose fleshy, bubble-like vesicles inflate during the day to maximise light capture and deflate at night to reveal feeding tentacles. It is a vigorous feeder and responds well to regular target feeding. Its delicate inflated tissue can be punctured by sharp rockwork, so placement must be considered carefully.

Encrusting LPS coral with eye patterns in vivid colour combinations. Moderately aggressive. Grows flat plates over rock. One of the most collectible coral genres.

Favites (war coral / closed brain coral) are encrusting SPS corals with a brain-like maze pattern. They are moderately demanding and aggressive, extending sweeper tentacles at night to sting neighbours. Available in a wide range of vivid colour morphs.

A hydrozoan rather than a true coral — branching, blade-like, or encrusting forms in mustard-yellow. Delivers a potent sting, even to humans. Fast-growing and found on shallow, high-flow reef crests.

Frogspawn Coral is a popular LPS coral whose branching skeleton terminates in clusters of rounded, grape-like polyp tips that sway mesmerisingly in gentle water movement — resembling a mass of frog eggs. It is one of the three classic Euphyllia corals (alongside Hammer and Torch) and shares their care requirements. It has potent sweeper tentacles that can sting corals placed nearby, so adequate spacing within the reef aquarium is essential.

Fungia plate corals are unusual free-living LPS corals that rest on the sandbed and can slowly move to find better conditions. They have a single large mouth surrounded by numerous short tentacles and come in a range of colours. They are sensitive to being placed on rough substrates.

Galaxea is a large-polyp stony coral with star-shaped polyps that extend long sweeper tentacles at night, capable of stinging corals several centimetres away. It is a fast grower under good conditions but requires significant space between it and neighbours.

Hammer coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral with distinctive T-shaped or hammer-shaped tentacles that sweep rhythmically in current. It is photosynthetic via its zooxanthellae but also benefits from target feeding with meaty foods two or three times weekly. It can sting neighbouring corals, so adequate spacing is essential.

Unique soft coral with a rigid, blood-red calcium carbonate skeleton and vivid green polyps. The skeleton resembles organ pipes — stunning when visible at the base. More demanding than most soft corals but worth the effort.

Pocillopora is a branching SPS coral with densely packed round polyp heads giving it a cauliflower-like appearance. It is one of the more forgiving SPS corals for beginners to reef keeping, growing quickly under stable conditions. Available in green, pink, and purple morphs.

Massively important reef-builder — slow-growing mounds and columns covered in tiny polyps. Host to Christmas Tree Worms and boring clams. Hardy for SPS; tolerates a wider range of conditions than Acropora.

The iconic purple fan-shaped gorgonian found throughout the Caribbean. Non-photosynthetic — requires regular target feeding with coral foods or phytoplankton. Grows in the plane perpendicular to current flow. A dramatic display piece.

Solitary LPS coral with a single large fleshy polyp in extraordinary colour patterns. Slow-growing but stunning. Target-feed meaty foods for best growth and coloration.

Stylophora is a classic branching SPS coral with short, rounded branch tips. Commonly called cats paw coral, it is a good entry-level SPS and grows quickly under reef lighting. Available in pink, green, and purple colour morphs.

Torch coral is a striking LPS coral with long flowing polyps tipped in gold, white, or green that wave like flames in gentle current. It shares care requirements with other euphyllia corals but is somewhat more sensitive to elevated nutrients and temperature spikes. Torch coral disease (rapid tissue necrosis) can devastate colonies, so quarantine new specimens.