Sunset Cup Coral

About

The sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) is one of those species that flips the usual reef-keeping script. Where most corals demand intense lighting to fuel their symbiotic algae, this one carries no zooxanthellae at all. It feeds entirely on what it can catch, making it genuinely comfortable in the dimmer, shadowed corners of a tank that other corals would ignore. Native to the subtropical Atlantic and Mediterranean, it tends to colonize shaded overhangs, cave mouths, and rocky crevices where sunlight barely reaches, often forming small clusters of vivid yellow-orange polyps that explain the common name. Each polyp sits in its own small stony cup, and when fully extended the tentacles give it a soft, almost flower-like look. Because it relies on captured food rather than light, keeping it well-fed is the central challenge. Regular target feeding with small meaty foods is essential, not optional. Moderate flow helps deliver that food and keeps the tissue healthy without battering the polyps. This is an intermediate-level coral, not because it is delicate in the usual sense, but because its feeding demands require consistent attention and a keeper who understands the difference between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic care.