Green star polyps

Care at a glance

Green star polyps, universally known as GSP, form a purple mat from which bright green polyps fan out and sway with every pulse of flow. It is one of the cheapest and most indestructible corals there is: it keeps growing under almost any light and in almost any flow.

That is exactly what makes it notorious. GSP overgrows everything it reaches, creeps across rock, sand and even the back wall, and is nearly impossible to remove afterwards. So place it on a separate rock or frag island that does not touch the main reef. If it stays closed for a while, that is usually a response to too little flow or a neighbouring coral stinging it.

Related species

• Encrusting gorgonianErythropodium caribaeorum
• ZoanthidsZoanthus sp.
• Blue sympodiumSympodium sp.
• Mushroom coralDiscosoma sp.
• Leather coralSarcophyton sp.
• Pulsing xeniaXenia sp.