Micro polyps are a broad group of tiny encrusting octocorals that can be so small that they are easily overlooked, both on the reef and in the aquarium. The only one we see with any regularity is ‘blue Anthelia’ a…
Three New Species of Rarely Seen Adelogorgia Gorgonians
Most of the new coral species that are described these days are discovered living in deep water habitats, usually where only ROVs can go. The genus Adelogorgia from the Eastern Pacific Ocean is one of those groups of Octocorals which…
Nanipora ‘Living Fossil’ Coral Discovered Thriving in South China Sea
Nanipora is a very bizarre and unusual type of ‘fossil coral’ that you might have growing in your tank without even knowing it. First described just a couple short years ago, Nanipora is very unique in being able to grow a calcified skeleton, something only Tubipora pipe organ and Heliopora blue…
Star Spike Coral Is An Incredibly Neat Nano Soft Coral
There’s a whole world of soft corals that the reef aquarium world knows nothing about, both photosynthetic and azooxanthellate. Asterospicularia is one of those softies that is primed for being grown in reef tanks, and which we affectionately call ‘Star Spike’ as…
Stunning pink Hemicorallium and more from the Marianas trench
The Okeanos Explorer is currently exploring seamounts in the Northern Marians trench. The Expedition is live-streaming on YouTube, and the Okeanos website, we recommend you tune in! July 5th, Dive: 19 Today’s dive was on the Vogt Guyot. A Guyot is an…
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…
Some idiot planted Xenia on a Venezuelan reef to awful effect
We reefers have long considered Xenia species to be a particularly weedy species in our aquariums. There once was a time when any Xenia was worth its weight in gold but now you’d be lucky to get $10 a pound, and…
