Finger Coral

About

Finger coral (Caulastraea furcata) is a large polyp stony coral with a distinctive growth form that sets it apart from most of its relatives. Rather than fusing into a solid mass, it develops branching skeletal stalks, each tipped with a single fleshy polyp head. The result is a colony that looks almost modular, like a cluster of small disc anemones mounted on stems. When polyps are fully extended, usually at night, the colony takes on a noticeably different look compared to its retracted daytime appearance, which is worth keeping in mind when placing it in the display. Native to the Indo-Pacific, with a range stretching from the East African coast and Madagascar all the way out to the Samoan islands, and from southern Japan down to New Caledonia, this coral occupies a wide variety of reef habitats from the shallows down to around 40 meters. That broad natural distribution suggests a degree of adaptability. In the aquarium it fits comfortably under moderate lighting and moderate flow, and while it is not the most forgiving coral for complete beginners, a hobbyist with some basic reef-keeping experience should find it manageable. It is considered reef safe and poses little threat to neighboring corals when given reasonable spacing.