Hump Coral

About

Hump Coral (Porites evermanni) is one of those solid, architecture-building corals that gives a reef tank real structural presence. In the wild it grows in shallow, sheltered environments, lagoons especially, where it develops into massive colonies that can take on a distinctly columnar shape over time, making it visually quite different from the generic rounded Porites mounds most people picture. Coloration runs from mustard yellow through to brown, which isn't the most flashy palette, but it has a certain natural warmth to it that looks right at home in a well-aquascaped system. One genuinely interesting trait is that its polyps extend their tentacles during the daytime rather than waiting for nightfall, so the colony looks actively alive throughout the day rather than sitting there looking like a painted rock. Care falls into the intermediate range. This isn't a beginner coral, but it's also not a white-knuckle experience. It appreciates high light and moderate water movement, consistent with its shallow lagoon origins. Like other Porites, it grows slowly and rewards patience. Give it stable water conditions and a good position in your light field, and it'll gradually build into a genuinely impressive centerpiece.