Starry Cup Coral

About

Starry cup coral (Micromussa regularis) is a small-polyp LPS coral found across a broad sweep of the Indo-West Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines down through Papua New Guinea to the reefs of Queensland, Australia. In the wild it turns up on reef structures anywhere from the shallows down to about 30 meters, which gives you a sense of how adaptable it is to varying light conditions. Each polyp sits in its own individual corallite cup, and colonies tend to stay compact and encrusting rather than growing into large, sprawling formations. The polyps themselves often display rich, contrasting colors, greens, reds, and purples are common, giving the colony a jewel-like appearance when the polyps are fully extended. In the aquarium, Micromussa regularis has a well-earned reputation as one of the more manageable LPS corals. It prefers moderate lighting and low to gentle flow, and it doesn't demand the precise conditions that trip up beginners with more sensitive stony corals. Feed it occasionally with small meaty foods when the polyps are open and it will reward you with steady growth. It generally plays well with neighbors as long as you give it enough space to avoid contact with other corals, since like most LPS it can extend sweeper tentacles at night.