Spine Coral

About

Spine coral (Hydnophora bonsai) is one of the more distinctive members of the Hydnophora genus, recognizable by its low, encrusting growth that throws up short, irregular branches rather than the clean columnar or plating forms you see in many other reef-building corals. The surface is covered in the characteristic hydnophora feature. Fused monticules that merge into bumpy, irregular ridges rather than sitting as discrete individual peaks. Coloration tends toward green or pale brown, subtle rather than flashy, which actually suits its architectural form nicely. In the wild it occupies rocky foreshores and shallow reef environments across a range of the Indo-West Pacific, tolerating the kind of variable conditions those exposed habitats deliver. In the aquarium this translates reasonably well. It does not demand the most intense lighting or the heaviest flow on the reef, sitting comfortably in the intermediate range for both. That said, like most Hydnophora it carries sweeper tentacles that extend at night and can irritate neighboring corals, so give it adequate space. It falls into the intermediate care bracket, meaning a keeper with some reef experience and stable water quality should find it manageable and rewarding.