Lowridge Cactus Coral

About

Lowridge Cactus Coral (Mycetophyllia danaana) is a brain-type LPS that grows as solid, rounded plates, with long winding valleys that radiate outward from the colony's original growth point. Those valleys can run quite deep in some specimens, and in others the dividing walls become so reduced that the surface takes on a bumpy, almost mounded texture rather than the classic ridged look you'd expect from this group. The septo-costae, the internal skeletal elements between valleys, are notably thinner than the spaces they divide, giving the skeleton an open, lacy quality when examined up close. Coloration tends to be soft combinations of pink, green, and grey, often with the valleys and their surrounding walls picking up contrasting shades, which gives each colony a bit of its own personality. In the wild this species turns up across a wide range of reef environments, making it a fairly adaptable coral. That adaptability carries over into the aquarium, where it generally earns a reputation as a reasonable choice for keepers who are still building experience with LPS corals. It appreciates moderate lighting and moderate water movement, and doesn't demand the intense conditions that some of its brain coral relatives require.