Branching Anchor Coral

About

Found on shallow reef slopes across the Indo-Pacific, Fimbriaphyllia paraancora is a large-polyp stony coral closely related to the familiar hammer and anchor corals, and it shares their characteristic fleshy, flowing polyps that extend well beyond the skeleton during the day. The polyps typically display a translucent green or tan body tipped with distinctive rounded or branching ends, giving the colony a soft, almost anemone-like appearance when fully open. In the wild it tends to grow on moderate-flow reef sections, and that preference translates directly to aquarium care. You want enough water movement to keep detritus from settling on the tissue, but not so much turbulence that the polyps remain retracted. Lighting in the moderate range suits it well, as intense light can cause bleaching over time. Like other euphylliids, it carries sweeper tentacles that extend at night and can sting neighboring corals, so give it reasonable space on the reef. Fimbriaphyllia paraancora is not particularly forgiving of sudden swings in water quality, and maintaining stable parameters is the main challenge here. Keepers with some experience managing large-polyp stonies will find it a rewarding and visually dynamic addition to a mixed LPS system.