Rounded Bubblegum Coral

About

The rounded bubblegum coral (Plerogyra diabolotus) is a relatively obscure scleractinian coral first described from the reefs of Sabah, North Borneo, making Malaysia essentially its entire known range in the Western Central Pacific. Like its better-known relatives in the bubble coral family, it expands fleshy, water-filled vesicles during the day that give the colony a distinctly rounded, inflated appearance. These serve to maximize light capture while also shielding the underlying skeleton. At night, or when disturbed, those vesicles retract to reveal the stony corallite structure beneath. Because this species was only formally described in the early 2000s, hobbyist experience with it remains limited compared to the more common Plerogyra sinuosa, so much of what we know about its aquarium care is extrapolated from close relatives. It generally does best under moderate lighting and low flow conditions. Strong current tends to prevent the vesicles from fully expanding and can cause tissue damage over time. Placement on the sandbed or lower rockwork is typically preferred. Given the thin body of direct hobbyist experience with this particular species, it is a better fit for intermediate keepers who are already comfortable managing large-polyp stony corals.