Acanthophyllia

Acanthophyllia is a solitary meat coral: the whole animal is one single, enormous polyp, a thick mantle of soft flesh spread wide over a heavy, ridged skeleton. No two individuals pattern the same — rims, streaks and mottling vary from piece to piece, all of it radiating from the single mouth at the center of the disc.

Care

A sand-bed coral — set it on open sand with room on every side to inflate, never wedged into rockwork where the flesh can tear. Low to medium light and gentle flow suit it. It is a feeder: after dark it pushes out short feeding tentacles and takes meaty foods gladly, so an occasional target feeding keeps it fat. Give it clear space from neighbours.