Leather Coral

About

Found on subtropical reef systems across the Western Pacific, Lobophytum pauciflorum is a soft coral in the family Alcyoniidae. A group commonly known as leather corals. It grows as a sessile colony, anchored firmly to hard substrate, with a lobed, fleshy form typical of the lobophytum genus. The surface is covered in small polyps that extend in good flow to give the colony a fuzzy, animated texture, then retract when the animal is disturbed or shedding its outer layer. A normal behavior in leather corals that occasionally worries newer keepers. That periodic deflation and sliminess is simply part of the coral's routine maintenance cycle, and the colony bounces back within a day or two. Because documented hobbyist data on this particular species is relatively limited, specific behavioral quirks aren't well established, but its membership in the broader leather coral group makes it a reasonable candidate for reef aquaria with moderate lighting and water movement. It poses no threat to neighboring corals in the immediate sense, though like other alcyonarians it can release terpene compounds into the water column, so good skimming and activated carbon are sensible precautions in a mixed system.