Anemone Coral

About

Anemone coral (Goniopora tenuidens) is one of those corals that stops people in their tracks at the fish store, and for good reason. When its polyps are fully extended, the colony looks less like a stony coral and more like a bed of tiny anemones. Each polyp reaching out with tentacles of uniform length, packed closely together across the surface. The overall structure is massive and either hemispherical or irregular in outline, with corallites featuring thin walls and six well-defined paliform lobes. Coloration runs toward blue (which can shift toward pink under certain photography conditions), green, or brown, and some individuals show crisp white tips on the tentacles. In the wild, this species comes from subtidal reef environments across the Indo-West Pacific, with lagoons being a particularly common habitat across a depth range that spans from shallow water down to about 20 meters. In the aquarium, Goniopora in general have a complicated reputation, and this species is no exception. They can be finicky about water quality and long-term survival has historically challenged even experienced reef keepers. High lighting and moderate flow match what they encounter on natural reefs. This one is best reserved for hobbyists already comfortable with demanding SPS and LPS corals.