Coral Encyclopedia

An LPS coral with rich colorful variations. Highly popular among collectors with many high-value specimens.

An LPS coral with vivid multicolor patterns beautiful as jewels. Premium species popular among collectors.

An LPS coral with metallic colors in large polyps. Australian specimens are popular as premium pieces.

LPS coral with single massive polyp. Vivid red, green, blue colors earn it the 'Meat Coral' nickname. Impressive when fleshy tissue inflates fully.

The pinnacle of coral keeping. Requires intense lighting and pristine water quality, but rewards with stunning growth and coloration.

An LPS coral with long tentacles similar to Goniopora. Hardier and easier to keep than Goniopora.

An LPS coral with anchor-shaped tentacles. Related to hammer coral with similar care.

An SPS coral with delicate branching like a bird's nest. Beautiful pink and purple colors are popular.

SPS coral with thin branches intertwining like a birds nest. Hardier than Acropora, ideal SPS entry. Pink and purple popular.

A beautiful LPS coral with densely packed large polyps. Popular for vivid red and green colorations.

LPS coral with brain-like skeletal ridges. Vivid reds, greens, and purples. Relatively easy to keep. Extends large feeding tentacles at night.

Soft coral related to Green Star Polyps. Green polyps emerge from purple encrusting mat. Extremely hardy and fast-growing, spreading aggressively over rock and walls.

LPS coral with distinctive bubble-shaped tissue. Inflates by day, deflates at night. Responds well to feeding.

LPS with round head-shaped polyps resembling candy canes. Hardy, easy to keep, and colorful. Ideal for LPS beginners.

Large LPS coral with long, beautiful tentacles. Fluorescent green or purple-tipped tentacles are striking. Place on sand. Formerly called Elegance Coral.

Plate-shaped LPS coral. Eye-like patterns and fluorescent colors popular with collectors. Many high-value specimens.

Soft coral with soft finger-like branches. Also called Colt Coral. Very hardy and fast-growing. White and cream common. Safe choice for beginners.

A hardy SPS coral with densely packed small polyps. Grows in low light, recommended for beginners.

An SPS coral growing with finger-like branches. Hardiest and easiest to keep among Montipora.

Flat disc-shaped soft coral. Diverse colors — red, blue, green, striped. Very hardy and easy to propagate. Classic beginner coral.

LPS coral with round flower-like polyps. Responds well to feeding — fun to watch eat. Relatively hardy and growing in popularity.

A type of chalice LPS coral. Grows in thin plate form with diverse color morphs. Named varieties like 'Rainbow' and 'Miami Hurricane' command premium prices.

Plating to encrusting coral between LPS and SPS. Beautiful fluorescent greens and oranges. Relatively hardy with moderate growth. Good base for aquascaping.

Beautiful LPS with long tentacles tipped in fluorescent colors. Placed on sand bed. Vivid fluorescence is the main attraction.

Massive LPS coral with round corallites on surface. Similar to Favites but corallites are clearly separated. Hardy and colorful.

LPS coral with densely packed hexagonal corallites. Also called Favites. Various color patterns exist, related to 'War Coral.' Hardy and easy to keep.

An LPS coral with beautiful fluffy tentacles. Similar to torch but finer, more delicate tentacles.

Distinctive rounded tentacle tips resembling frog eggs. Related to torch coral. Mesmerizing movement in water flow.

A unique LPS coral that can move independently. Disc-shaped body moves across sand bed.

An LPS coral with white balls on clear tentacle tips. Attacks neighbors with long sweeper tentacles.

Bivalve with brilliantly colored mantle. Photosynthetic and requires strong lighting. Jewel of the reef tank.

Beautiful LPS with long polyps like a bouquet. Once considered difficult to keep, but modern techniques have improved success.

A beautiful soft coral spreading in fan shape. Elegantly swaying in current, ideal as tank background.

A hardy soft coral with green star-shaped polyps on a mat. Beautiful fluorescent green.

Bright green polyps that spread over rock surfaces. Extremely hardy and fast-growing. Perfect first coral for beginners.

LPS coral with T-shaped tentacles resembling hammers. Related to torch coral. Beautiful swaying movement in current.

Solitary LPS coral with long tentacles resembling anemones. Clownfish may host in it. Placed on sand — beautiful long tentacles swaying in current.

Coral with dense small bumps (hydnophores) on surface. Between LPS and SPS in care. Fast-growing with beautiful fluorescent green. Aggressive — careful placement needed.

Tree-like branching soft coral. Extremely hardy and prolific. Branches drop naturally to form new colonies.

Soft coral with large mushroom-shaped cap. Hardy and fast-growing. Periodically sheds mucus to remove old tissue.

A thin plate-shaped SPS coral from deep waters. Can be placed at tank bottom as it grows in low light.

An LPS coral with large fleshy polyps. Vivid red and green coloration makes it a tank centerpiece.

A round LPS coral with maze-like grooves. Similar to brain coral but with deeper grooves.

Unique SPS coral with thin plate-like blades rising vertically. Green and brown common. Adds depth and dimension to aquariums. For intermediate keepers.

Popular LPS coral with vivid colors. Formerly Acanthastrea lordhowensis. Diverse color morphs including red, green, and rainbow varieties.

Second most popular SPS coral after Acropora. Diverse forms including plate and branching. Easier SPS entry point.

An SPS coral growing in cap/umbrella shape. Hardier than Acropora, ideal for SPS beginners.

An SPS coral that branches in finger-like shapes. Hardier than Acropora, ideal for SPS beginners.

Distinctive Montipora with dense hair-like polyps on surface. Green common, often called 'Fuzzy' for its texture. Popular SPS entry species.

Mushroom-shaped soft coral in various colors. Hardy and prefers low light and gentle flow. Easy to propagate.

Tree-shaped branching soft coral. Similar to Kenya Tree but more supple. Green and brown common. Hardy, fast-growing, adds natural feel to aquariums.

LPS coral with vivid colors and large mouth. Kept on sand bed. Responds exceptionally well to feeding.

A Zoanthid relative with large button-like polyps growing densely. Hardy with rich colors.

Large-polyped Palythoa species. Brown to green large polyps form colonies. Very hardy and tolerant of water quality changes. Popular soft coral for beginners.

An SPS coral growing in thin plates. Hardy species growing in various forms: encrusting, plating.

An SPS coral spreading in thin plate form. Unique spiral patterns and fast growth are attractive.

Unique coral with green polyps emerging from red skeleton. Appears soft but actually has a hard skeleton.

An LPS coral characterized by flat disc-like shape. Placed directly on sand bed for keeping.

A hardy LPS coral with distinctive maze-like grooves. Also rich in fluorescent color variations.

SPS coral branching in cauliflower shape. Pink and green are common. Hardier than Acropora — ideal SPS starter. Fast-growing and visually impressive.

A hardy SPS coral growing in finger or massive forms. Slow growing but very hardy and long-lived.

Unique soft coral with pulsing polyps that rhythmically open and close. Mesmerizing movement. Hardy and proliferates quickly.

A mushroom coral relative with cute colorful bubble-like tentacles. Extremely collectible.

A Caribbean mushroom anemone with densely packed bubble polyps. Extremely beautiful fluorescent colors.

A premium LPS coral characterized by single large polyp. Rainbow coloration popular among collectors.

Delicate SPS coral with thin, densely branching structure. Rich color variety including pink, green, yellow. Easier to keep than Acropora — good SPS starter.

Finger-shaped branching soft coral. Related to leather corals and equally hardy. Cream, green, brown color varieties. Similar to Toadstool but with branching form.

A branching SPS coral. Hardier than Acropora with beautiful pink and purple coloration.

Vivid orange non-photosynthetic coral. Grown entirely through feeding. Stunning full polyp extension at night.

An LPS coral with complex brain-like patterns. Vivid fluorescent green and red specimens are popular.

Branching soft coral that is hardy with diverse color variations. Easy to frag and propagate.

Beautiful LPS coral with long flowing tentacles resembling torches. Graceful movement in current. Somewhat sensitive to water quality.

An LPS coral with large fleshy polyps placed on floor. Beautiful fluorescent red and green.

Unique soft coral with red skeletal tubes arranged in pipe organ-like formation. Green or white polyps extending from the red skeleton create a beautiful contrast.

An LPS coral growing in cup or scroll shape. Extremely hardy, one of most suitable species for LPS beginners.

An LPS coral with distinctive rugged appearance. Also called Favia, beautiful with fluorescent colors.

Perfect entry-level soft coral with incredible color variety. Tolerant of water quality fluctuations and easy to propagate.