Hump Coral

About

Hump Coral (Porites decasepta) is a compact encrusting species that stays small, rarely exceeding about 100 mm across, making it one of the more modestly sized members of a genus known for building massive reef structures. What it lacks in size it makes up for in color. Colonies display a bright blue that stands out even among other Porites. The individual corallites are tiny, under a millimeter in diameter, and sit flush with the colony surface, giving the coral a smooth, almost velvet-like texture when viewed up close. Structurally, the septal arrangement typical of the Porites group is barely detectable here, as the ventral triplet fusion characteristic of the genus is only weakly developed, which makes this species a bit tricky to identify confidently without close inspection. In the wild it occupies shallow, wave-exposed sections of the reef where light is intense and water movement is strong and consistent. In the aquarium that translates to a need for high lighting and moderate to brisk flow to keep it thriving. It falls into intermediate care territory. Not the most demanding coral in a reef tank, but it does expect stable, well-maintained water and the kind of energetic circulation that mimics its natural home on the exposed reef flat.