Hump Coral

About

Hump coral (Porites nigrescens) is a branching species with an encrusting base that gives mature colonies a somewhat lumpy, irregular silhouette. The surface has a distinctly pitted texture, the result of concave calices that are visible to the naked eye once you know to look for them. Coloration runs from warm brown to cream, which is fairly understated compared to flashier reef corals, but the real giveaway in the field is its habit of extending tentacles during daylight hours. Something many Porites relatives do only at night. In the wild this species turns up on lower reef slopes and in sheltered lagoons across the Indo-West Pacific, generally in calmer water away from heavy surf, at depths ranging from the shallows down to around 27 meters. In the aquarium it appreciates moderate water movement rather than strong turbulent flow, and needs solid light levels to support the zooxanthellae that fuel its growth. Care is rated intermediate. Not a beginner coral, but accessible to a keeper who has a handle on stable reef water chemistry. Its branching growth habit means colonies can become fairly substantial over time, so give it enough room to spread out without crowding neighbors.