Elegance coral

Care at a glance

The elegance coral has long, waving tentacles with brightly coloured tips around a green or purple oral disc, which makes it one of the most impressive large-polyp stony corals. In the wild it does not grow on the reef itself but on soft, muddy bottoms near river mouths.

That explains its care: give it a spot on sand or flat rock with gentle flow and moderate light, not high in the tank. Its tentacles reach far and burn neighbours, so leave generous space; regular small meaty feedings clearly help it along.

Good to know

• Potent sting — keep distance in the tank
• Needs a mature, stable tank

Related species

• Chalice coralEchinophyllia sp.
• Cynarina coralCynarina lacrymalis
• Scoly coralHomophyllia australis
• Sun coralTubastraea sp.
• AlveoporaAlveopora sp.
• Black sun coralTubastraea micranthus