Devil's Hand

About

Found on tropical reefs across the Western Pacific, Lobophytum depressum is a sessile soft coral documented from the waters of New Caledonia and Hong Kong. It belongs to the genus Lobophytum, a group commonly known as devil's hand or cabbage leather corals, characterized by their fleshy, lobed colonies that expand and contract depending on flow and light conditions. Like other members of this family, it lacks a rigid calcium carbonate skeleton, instead relying on tiny internal structures called sclerites for support, giving the colony a rubbery, leathery texture. In the aquarium, this coral is considered a forgiving choice for newer reef keepers, tolerating moderate lighting and moderate water movement without the demanding parameters that some stony corals require. It is reef safe and unlikely to cause problems for neighboring corals under normal conditions, though it is worth giving it some space as soft corals of this type can occasionally release compounds that irritate nearby SPS colonies. Source data on this particular species is fairly limited compared to more commonly traded Lobophytum varieties, so care guidelines for the broader genus are a reasonable reference point when working with it.