False Flower Coral

About

False Flower Coral (Anacropora puertogalerae) is a branching coral found across a wide sweep of the Indo-West Pacific, from the waters west of Sumatra out to Tuvalu and north to Japan's Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands. In the wild it occupies shallow reef zones, typically between about 5 and 20 meters depth. Its branches are notably slender, under 13 millimeters thick, and taper neatly to a point, giving the colony a fine, almost needle-like silhouette. Corallites are spread well apart along the branches, and the lower lip of each corallite tends to extend outward as a small spine, which is one of the more reliable identification features once you know to look for it. Coloration is generally a muted pale brown, occasionally with whitened branch tips. In a display aquarium the overall look is subtle rather than showy, but the delicate branching architecture has its own appeal. This is not a coral for beginners. It demands very high light, strong and consistent water movement, and stable, pristine water quality. Even experienced reef keepers should take care when placing and acclimating it, as the slender branches are fragile and the colony can decline quickly if conditions slip. Best suited to a mature, well-maintained system.