Starry Cup Coral

About

Starry Cup Coral (Dipsastraea faviaformis) is a stony coral belonging to a genus that was reclassified relatively recently from the well-known Favia group, so you may still see it listed under the older name in some vendor catalogs. Its common name is a nod to the neat, cup-shaped corallites arranged across its surface, each one a small circular polyp pit that gives the colony a textured, almost mosaic-like appearance. In the wild, this species occupies shallow reef environments across a wide stretch of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea all the way out to the Philippines, typically found anywhere from just below the surface down to around 30 meters. That broad natural range hints at a certain adaptability. In the aquarium, it is considered an intermediate-level coral rather than a true beginner piece, but it is not particularly demanding compared to many other LPS or SPS corals. Moderate lighting and moderate flow suit it well, and it appreciates stable water quality as any reef coral does. It is reef safe and unlikely to cause trouble with neighbors given reasonable spacing. If you are building out a mixed reef and want some textural variety in your rockwork without taking on a high-maintenance species, this coral is worth considering.