Goniopora (flowerpot coral)

Care at a glance

Goniopora, also called flowerpot coral, forms a ball of long polyps that each end in a ring of twenty-four tentacles; in flow the whole thing sways like a field of flowers. It is one of the most beautiful moving corals there is.

It long had a reputation for being nearly impossible to keep: colonies looked good for months and then declined anyway. These days it works better with stable, slightly nutrient-rich conditions, moderate light, moderate flow and regular fine coral food; still, this remains a species for a mature, well-running system.

Good to know

• Needs a mature, stable tank

Related species

• AlveoporaAlveopora sp.
• Branching bubble coralPhysogyra lichtensteini
• Bubble coralPlerogyra sinuosa
• Scoly coralHomophyllia australis
• Cynarina coralCynarina lacrymalis
• Plate coralFungia sp.