Darth Maul

Darth Maul is a Zoanthus strain with a black face broken by orange-red blotches and a matching fiery skirt, a pattern as dark and menacing as its namesake. The contrast is dramatic: near-black polyps lit with ember-like markings that shift a little from polyp to polyp, so no two heads are exactly alike. It is a tier 1 zoa, famous among collectors for proving that a mostly black coral can still be one of the loudest pieces in the tank.

Care

Darth Maul is listed for low to medium light, so start it low to mid in the tank and let it adjust rather than pushing it high early. Medium flow through the mat keeps it clean and open. Keep nutrients measurable, because zoanthids sulk in ultra-clean water, and hold alkalinity stable. It is an easy strain overall with moderate growth, rewarding a keeper who sets it in a suitable spot and leaves it to colour up in peace.

Keeping and spread

This zoanthid spreads by mat growth at a moderate rate, adding polyps around the edge of the colony. Leave roughly 2 in of space around it; with moderate aggression, a mat that reaches slower neighbours can smother them as it advances. To frag, cut the mat between polyps, mount the section on a plug, and keep it in similar low to medium light while the cut edge heals and new growth resumes.