Hump Coral

About

Hump Coral (Porites aranetai) is a compact, encrusting species native to the shallow reefs of the Philippines and Indonesia. In the wild it grows across hard substrate in well-lit, tropical reef environments, forming low colonies with a surface that ranges from broadly smooth to distinctly nodular, sometimes developing short, stubby projections. The overall shape gives it that characteristic lumpy, uneven look that sets it apart from the more uniform mounding Porites you might see at the fish store. Coloration runs from mottled green to a pale, washed-out cream, depending on the light and the health of its zooxanthellae. The skeletal structure shows a highly variable septal arrangement even within a single colony, which can make visual identification a bit tricky if you're trying to nail down the species in a display tank. Like most Porites, this one is considered reef safe and won't bother its neighbors, but it does appreciate consistent, high-intensity lighting and moderate water movement to keep its tissue healthy and its polyps extended. It sits in the intermediate care bracket, so it's better suited to a keeper who already has stable water chemistry dialed in rather than someone just getting their first reef up and running.