Ridge Coral

About

Ridge coral (Leptoseris mycetoseroides), also sometimes called porcelain coral, is a sheet-forming species found across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea out into the Pacific Ocean. In the wild it occupies reef slopes and near-vertical walls that are sheltered from heavy wave action, often growing at considerable depth where light levels are naturally reduced. Colonies spread as thin encrusting or flattened laminar plates, frequently growing beyond a metre in diameter in mature specimens. The surface is textured with small, irregular folds, and the individual corallites are packed tightly between those ridges except near the outer edges, where they shift into neat rows running parallel to the plate margin. Coloration tends toward muted browns and greens, often darkening considerably in shadier conditions, which suits its preference for dimmer, calmer environments. In the aquarium this translates into a coral that does genuinely well under low light and gentle flow. A relatively uncommon combination that makes it a useful option for the shadier corners of a reef tank. Its forgiving nature means beginners can reasonably attempt it, provided the tank is otherwise stable and established. It won't demand the intense lighting rigs that many stony corals require, but it does reward patience, eventually spreading into a broad, textured sheet across rockwork or the tank bottom.