Larger Star Coral

About

Larger Star Coral (Favites stylifera) is one of those understated reef corals that rewards a closer look rather than demanding attention from across the tank. Native to the Indo-West Pacific, it grows on upper reef slopes across a broad tropical range, forming encrusting to submassive colonies that hug the substrate rather than building tall structures. The individual corallites are small, typically three to six millimeters across, and noticeably irregular in shape, giving the colony a slightly chaotic, handcrafted texture compared to the neat geometry of some other faviid corals. The septa are few and heavily contorted with irregular teeth, and the paliform crown is only weakly developed, all of which gives this species a rougher, more organic look than many of its close relatives. Coloration tends toward pale brown, though green oral discs appear often enough to add some visual interest. In the aquarium, Favites stylifera sits comfortably in the intermediate category. Not a coral for someone just starting out with reef keeping, but not a demanding species either. Moderate lighting and moderate flow suit it well. As with most faviids, watch for sweeper tentacles at night, since it will defend its space against neighboring corals.