Cactus Coral

About

Cactus coral (Mycetophyllia ferox) is a Caribbean native that forms broad, flattened plates loosely anchored to the reef substrate, giving colonies a somewhat free-form, wandering appearance. The surface is crossed by narrow, gently winding valleys arranged in single rows, and the structural centers within those valleys are minimal to nearly absent, which gives the coral a smoother look than many of its maze-like relatives. Color-wise, expect muted tones, greys and browns dominate, but what makes individual colonies visually interesting is the contrast between the valley floors and the raised walls, which often differ noticeably in shade. In the wild, this species turns up across shallow reef environments throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, from just below the surface down to around 40 meters. It's a hardy LPS coral that handles moderate lighting and moderate flow without complaint, and its tolerant nature makes it one of the more accessible large-polyp stony corals for hobbyists still building their reefkeeping experience. It won't bother neighboring corals in the way more aggressive LPS species will, so placement flexibility is reasonable as long as you're not crowding it against something with long sweeper tentacles.