Net Coral

About

Net coral (Alveopora excelsa) is a large-colony stony coral native to exposed reef slopes across the Western Pacific. In the wild, colonies grow in submassive, lobed formations that can stretch well beyond two metres across. A reminder of just how dramatically reef corals can dominate their environment. The corallites feature irregular, spiny walls, and the color shifts noticeably depending on polyp behavior: retracted polyps show grey or pinkish-brown tones, while extended polyps turn the colony a warmer brown and give it a distinctly shaggy, mop-like texture. Those polyps tend to stay pulled in during daylight hours and open up as light fades, so don't be discouraged if your colony looks closed during the day. In the aquarium, this coral comes with some real demands. It belongs on the advanced end of the care spectrum, requiring both intense lighting and vigorous water movement to mirror the high-energy reef slopes it calls home. Like other Alveopora species, it needs stable, well-maintained water quality and doesn't forgive lapses the way hardier LPS corals might. It's reef safe and won't bother its neighbors, but it's best matched with a keeper who already has solid experience managing demanding stony corals.