There are over 70 species of Montipora described to date, with some of the widespread species being diverse enough to be divided into further sub-taxonomic units. The lion’s share of the “Montis” grown in the aquarium hobby are represented by only…
Coral
Tank Profile: Brian Babcock’s SPS-dominated Reef
With towering pillars of small-polyp stony corals framed against a spotless blue background, this aquarium makes me feel as though I’ve been plopped down smack dab in the middle of a coral reef, peering into the blue abyss beyond. Being…
Anemone Lookalike: The Long-Tentacled Plate Coral
Easily mistaken for an anemone at first glance, Heliofungia actiniformis is a large-polyp stony (LPS) coral that can be an excellent option for reefkeepers with modest-sized systems. Even relative newcomers to the reefkeeping hobby can succeed with this species, provided…
Fields of Caribbean staghorn corals discovered off Florida coast
In another bit of good news to start off the new year, it was recently announced that a huge field of Caribbean staghorn coral was discovered right off of the coast of South Florida. The Caribbean staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, is…
The Phoenix Effect gives us reason to be hopeful about wild corals
On any given day it is easy to come across news of how the ocean is in danger, coral reefs are dying, and the sky is generally falling in regards to the outlook for corals on this planet. That is…
Carolina Aquatics scores an extreme growth form of Turbinaria heronensis
It’s no secret that we hold the uniquely special Hero coral, Turbinaria heronensis, in a special place of our reef aquarium heart. That’s why it warms us to learn that our good friends at Carolina Aquatics, purveyor of our beloved Turbinaria…
Really get to know Scleractinia with the free Coral Finder Toolkit movies
Corals can be quite difficult to identify for the uninitiated, and even certain groups can be quite challenging to differentiate from each other. We are always super motivated to find the latest and greatest new corals, either in the wild,…
Top 10 new coral and giant clam species of 2014
The discoveries of new fish species were really impressive this year and the coral and giant clam taxonomists also had their hands full in 2014. Across the board we are still seeing a nice steady flow of new soft and…
Kiss Australomussa goodbye, say hello to Parascolymia rowleyensis
Australomussa’s place on the LPS branch of the coral tree of life has always been a little bit murky – today we learn a little bit more about where it belongs, and who its friends are. Parascolymia rowleyensis is the new…
Gorgonians don’t care about stupid ocean acidification
It seems like coral scientists and researchers are constantly finding new ways that corals are dying and how coral reefs are an endangered ecosystem, but for once, it seems like at least one group of corals will be able to…