Plate Coral

About

Plate coral (Heliofungia actiniformis) is one of those species that genuinely surprises people who are new to coral keeping. At first glance it barely looks like a stony coral at all. The polyp extends long, flowing tentacles around the clock, giving it the appearance of a large anemone sitting on a flat disc. Those tentacles can be pale blue-green, dark green, or grey, typically tipped with white or pink, and the oral disc beneath them is distinctively striped. The central mouth can be quite large, which is another feature that sets this coral apart from most LPS. In the wild, Heliofungia actiniformis lives across the Western Central Pacific, typically settling on sandy flats, rubble fields, or in the relatively murky water of reef lagoons rather than on hard reef structure. Adults are entirely free-living, they are not attached to the substrate, which means they can shift position if conditions are not to their liking, and they do need to be placed where water movement will not flip them over. Flow should be kept gentle. Despite its somewhat unusual requirements, this species is considered manageable for beginner reef keepers, making it a genuinely interesting entry point into large-polyp stony corals.