False Knob Coral

About

The False Knob Coral (Astrea annuligera) is a solid, unassuming stony coral found across a wide sweep of the Indo-Pacific, from the Ryukyu Islands down through Australia and across to Fiji, with its western range reaching as far as South Africa. In the wild it tends to occupy calmer reef backs and lagoonal environments rather than the wave-battered outer slopes, which gives you a good hint about what it prefers in a tank. Steady, moderate flow rather than anything too turbulent. Colonies grow in encrusting or irregularly submassive forms, spreading outward across available substrate. The corallites are circular and neatly arranged, with septa that run in three distinct cycles toward a central columella; the primary septa are noticeably raised and widely spaced, giving the surface a structured, almost architectural look. Many colonies also develop subtle ridge-and-bump texturing across the skeleton. Coloration tends to be muted greens and browns, sometimes mottled and sometimes more uniform, with the individual cup centers often appearing darker than the surrounding tissue. It is not the most flamboyant coral on the reef, but that understated look suits a lot of mixed reef builds well. Care is rated intermediate, so some experience with stable reef water chemistry will serve you well before adding one.