Bubble coral

Care at a glance

The bubble coral unfolds bladder-shaped polyps by day that fill with water until they resemble a cluster of translucent grapes. At night it retracts those bubbles and long feeding tentacles appear, plucking food from the water.

Those tentacles are exactly what makes it dangerous to neighbours: they reach far and burn adjacent corals, so leave generous space. Give it subdued light and gentle flow, because in strong flow the fragile bubbles can tear.

Good to know

• Potent sting — keep distance in the tank

Related species

• Branching bubble coralPhysogyra lichtensteini
• Plate coralFungia sp.
• Goniopora (flowerpot coral)Goniopora sp.
• Open brain coralTrachyphyllia geoffroyi
• AlveoporaAlveopora sp.
• Lobo brain coralLobophyllia sp.