Brain Coral

About

Found across shallow to moderately deep reef environments in the Philippines and Indonesia, Favites melicerum is a stony coral belonging to the brain coral group, recognized by its tightly packed, angular corallites arranged in a characteristic maze-like pattern across a domed or encrusting colony surface. In the wild it occupies a wide depth range, turning up from the shallows all the way down to around 40 meters, which hints at its adaptability to varying light conditions. Colors tend to run through earthy greens, tans, and browns, occasionally with contrasting oral disc tones that give the colony some visual interest on the reef. In the aquarium this is a solid intermediate-level coral. Not the most forgiving choice for a complete beginner, but well within reach for someone who has a handle on stable water quality and consistent husbandry. Moderate lighting and moderate flow suit it well, and like most large polyp stony corals it should be given reasonable space on the rockwork since it can extend sweeper tentacles to defend its territory against neighboring corals. It is fully reef safe and generally a reliable, low-drama addition to a mixed LPS system.