Knob Coral

About

Knob Coral (Dipsastraea truncata) is a large polyp stony coral native to the Indo-West Pacific, where it occurs across a broad range from the eastern coast of Africa out to the western Pacific Ocean. In the wild it grows on reef structures anywhere from the shallows down to around 40 meters, giving it exposure to a wide range of light and flow conditions across that depth range. The colony typically forms a massive, domed or encrusting structure with distinctly raised corallites that give the surface that characteristic knobby, textured look the common name references. Each individual polyp sits within its own well-defined wall, and the overall appearance is often described as resembling a patchwork of closely packed cells. In the aquarium, this is considered an intermediate-level coral. Not the most demanding thing you could put in a reef tank, but it does appreciate stable water quality and consistent conditions to look its best. Moderate lighting and moderate flow seem to suit it well, keeping the polyps extended and the tissue healthy without stressing the colony. It plays nicely in a mixed reef setting and won't bother neighboring corals the way some aggressive LPS species do, making placement relatively straightforward once you have your flow dialed in.