Snake polyps

Care at a glance

Snake polyps are unusual zoanthid relatives with elongated, curved polyps that lie closed by day and then resemble small snakes. Only in the evening do they unfold their crowns of tentacles, which gives the colony a completely different look.

They are robust under moderate light and moderate flow, but grow more slowly than their better-known relatives. As with all polyps in this group: wear gloves when fragging and never work on an affected rock with hot water.

Good to know

• Palytoxin risk — wear gloves

Related species

• Stick polypsAcrozoanthus australiae
• Pipe organ coralTubipora musica
• GalaxeaGalaxea fascicularis
• Yellow polypsParazoanthus spp.
• HydnophoraHydnophora sp.
• PalythoaPalythoa sp.