The mimic anemone, Phyllodiscus semoni, is the ultimate master of deception on the reef. Not only is this anemone a near-perfect copy of various soft corals, stony corals, and even algae, these anemones will mimic a specific type of coral, down to…
Search Results For: sinularia
O Christmas Tree Coral, how lovely are thy branches
The Christmas Tree Coral is a very unusual species of Studeriotes soft coral which, due to its superficial resemblance to a christmas tree, used to show up quite more often at the Local Fish Store around the holidays. Since the…
Reef Builders Indonesia Travelogue: Tulamben, Bali
Indonesia is the heart of coral reef diversity and an important source for marine aquarium animals. Reefbuilders is on location in Bali, central Indonesia, and over the next two months we will be saturating ourselves with coral, fish, and reef knowledge to share with all of you.
Nanipora kamurai, a skeleton-building Octocoral that could already be in your tank
Nanipora kamurai is a new species of Octocoral which may be small and nondescript, but it falls in a very special place on the soft coral tree of life. We are all taught that soft corals are by definition soft, and we…
Reef Building soft coral has the thickest stony “branches”
Soft corals are called “soft corals” because they are kind of like corals, and they are primarily soft. We know that there are always exceptions to every rule in the animal kingdom, and the most notable of these in the Octocorallia soft…
ReefBrite teases its first true LED fixture
The ReefBrite LED striplights have been some of the most popular LED strips in the aquarium hobby since their introduction nearly seven years ago. With little changes to their design besides a more powerful XHO version that packed in more…
2.2 Fairy Wrasses: The cyanopleura group
The cyanopleura group is the next collection of fairy wrasses from the second major Cirrhilabrus clade (whose member taxa share the trait of mid-length pelvic fins) and is sister to the scottorum group. In the latter, certain traits that were diagnostic to the members will be…
Signs that Allelopathy Might Be Agitating Your Inverts
Since corals and other sessile invertebrates are more or less stuck in place and can’t chase away competitors or run from predators, many of them—particularly among the soft corals—have evolved the tactic of exuding toxins into the water to prevent…
Manhattan Aquariums installs gravity-defying coral art at new Carnegie exhibit
There’s a new coral aquarium exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Art that shows corals in a very dramatic and unusual way. The installation features corals arranged and affixed to a “reef” in the shape of a large ‘E3’ as…
Amazing Aquarium’s soft coral display will lull you into a hypnotic trance
I think it’s so unfair that people don’t give soft coral enough credit. I’m not talking about zoanthids, those single limited edition collectable polyps that cost as much as an emerald ring doesn’t quite cut it for me. I’m talking…
