Some of the most beautiful creatures in this hobby are neither rare nor difficult to keep but get glossed over by experienced reef aquarists because they are not the “latest and greatest” coral specimens that landed on our shores. So…
The Translucent Allure of Cynarina Corals
Cynarina are commonly referred to as meat corals or cat’s eye corals. They are large-polyp stony (LPS) corals that grow as a single massive polyp. In many ways, Cynarina share similar traits to Scolymia, Acanthophyllia, and bubble corals of the…
Zoanthids: Tough as Nails but Powerfully Potent
They belong to genera with names like Zoanthus, Parazoanthus, and Palythoa. They’re sometimes called sea mats, button polyps, or colonial anemones. Reef hobbyists commonly refer to them as “zoas.” Whatever name you apply to them, the zoanthids (family Zoanthidae) enjoy…
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi: Practically Perfect Open Brain Coral
“Open brain coral” is a common name applied to a wide variety of coral species belonging to several different genera. But if you ask my opinion (well, even if you don’t, I’m going to offer it anyway), Trachyphyllia geoffroyi is…
The Perfect Beginner SPS Coral: Seriatopora (Bird’s nest)
If ever one is looking to get into small polyp stony (SPS) corals but is hesitant because of the challenges associated with them, consider an SPS coral from the genus Seriatopora. Seriatopora corals, commonly referred to as bird’s nest corals,…
