Finger Coral

About

Finger coral (Astraeosmilia curvata) is a reef-building stony coral found across a wide stretch of the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from Sumatra eastward to Tuvalu and from the Ryukyu Islands down to New Caledonia. In the wild it occupies reef environments from very shallow water down to around 40 meters, which hints at a degree of adaptability to varying light conditions. Its common name refers to its growth form. Elongated, curved skeletal branches that give colonies a distinctly fingered silhouette, separating it visually from the more compact or plating corals you might keep alongside it. In the aquarium, this is a hermatypic coral, meaning it relies on symbiotic zooxanthellae for much of its nutrition, so consistent moderate lighting is important for long-term health. Moderate water movement suits it well, enough to keep detritus from settling on the skeleton without blasting the polyps. Care is rated intermediate, so this is not really a first coral for a brand-new reef keeper, but someone with a stable, established system and some experience reading coral behavior should find it manageable. Source data on its specific captive behavior is limited, so observing the colony closely as it settles into your tank is the best guide you will have.