Anemone Coral

About

Anemone coral (Goniopora fruticosa) is one of those corals that makes you do a double-take. Those constantly extended, gently swaying polyps really do look more like a cluster of tiny anemones than a typical stony coral. Found across the Northwest and Western Central Pacific, it grows on upper reef slopes where the water is relatively calm and sheltered from heavy surge, typically in shallow depths of just a few meters. Colonies take on an encrusting or branching form with tightly fused branches, and each polyp sits in a rounded or polygonal corallite with a broad, prominent columella at its center. The tentacles themselves are fine and tapered. Coloration is dark brown overall, set off by bright white oral discs that give the colony a two-toned, almost polka-dotted look when the polyps are extended. In the aquarium, this species needs high light and moderate flow. Enough to gently move those tentacles but not so much that the polyps stay retracted. Goniopora as a genus has a reputation for being tricky to keep long-term, and fruticosa is no exception; it rewards hobbyists who already have stable, mature reef systems and a good handle on water quality.