Ocellated Brain Coral

About

Ocellated Brain Coral (Cyphastrea ocellina) is a small-polyp stony coral found across the Indo-Pacific, where it typically grows on upper reef slopes from the shallows down to around 30 meters. In the wild it forms either massive boulder-like colonies or flatter encrusting sheets, both with a distinctly lumpy, undulating surface that gives it a textured, almost cobblestone appearance. The individual corallites are notably tiny, under 3 millimeters across, and are packed closely together across the colony surface. The coenosteum between the corallites is covered in fine spinules, adding to that rough-textured look. Coloration runs from pale greenish-yellow through to a deeper, richer green, which is understated compared to flashier reef species but holds a quiet appeal under good aquarium lighting. In the aquarium this coral does well under moderate light and moderate flow, which mirrors its natural position on upper reef slopes where it experiences decent water movement without extreme surge. It is considered reef safe and sits at an intermediate care level, meaning it rewards keepers who have some experience maintaining stable water quality but is not especially demanding compared to many other small-polyp stony corals. It tends to be an encrusting grower, so giving it a flat rock surface to spread across works well.