Net Coral

About

Net coral (Alveopora gigas) is one of the more architecturally unusual corals you'll encounter, built from irregular blunt-tipped columns whose walls are so heavily perforated they look almost skeletal. More lattice than solid structure. When the polyps extend fully, the effect is dramatic: each one can reach roughly 100 millimetres in length and 20 millimetres across, producing a soft, billowing mass that bears little resemblance to the rigid skeleton underneath. Coloration runs toward brown and greenish-brown across the body of the polyps, with white oral discs and tentacle tips providing the contrast. In the wild, this species occupies protected, turbid environments rather than the clear high-energy zones many reef corals prefer, which tells you something about its character. It's adapted to sediment-laden, lower-visibility conditions that most SPS keepers wouldn't associate with stony corals. That background doesn't make it easy to keep, though. Alveopora gigas is firmly in the advanced category, requiring very high lighting and strong flow to thrive in captivity. It's not a coral for someone still working through the basics of reef husbandry, but for an experienced reefer looking for something genuinely different on the frag rack, it's hard to overlook.