Brain Coral

About

Found on tropical benthic reef environments across the Eastern Central Pacific, Coelastrea tenuis is a scleractinian coral belonging to the family Merulinidae. A grouping that was significantly revised and reclassified in the early 2010s based on molecular and morphological research. Its occurrence in Hawaii has been flagged as questionable, so its precise range boundaries are still being worked out by researchers. Like others in its genus, this is a relatively compact, encrusting to massive brain-type coral with the characteristic shared corallite structure that defines Coelastrea. In the aquarium, it falls comfortably into intermediate territory. Not the most demanding coral you can keep, but probably not the best choice for someone still figuring out the basics of reef chemistry and flow management. It does well under moderate lighting and moderate water movement, which makes it compatible with a fairly wide range of mixed reef setups. Because the scientific literature on this species specifically is still somewhat sparse compared to more commonly traded corals, hobbyists keeping it would do well to draw on broader care experience with merulinid brain corals and pay close attention to tissue health as a primary indicator of how the animal is faring.