Leather Coral

About

Found on the reefs of Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands in the subtropical Northwest Pacific, Sarcophyton buitendijki is a soft coral in the leather coral family that has only recently received attention from the scientific community. Like other members of its genus, it is a sessile octocoral, meaning it anchors itself to hard substrate and stays put, drawing in food and nutrients from the water column rather than wandering anywhere. Leathers in the Sarcophyton group typically form a mushroom-like or toadstool shape, a fleshy stalk topped with a broader capitulum covered in polyps, and this species likely follows that same general body plan. Because it hails from subtropical waters, it can tolerate a somewhat wider range of conditions than many strictly tropical reef species, which may contribute to its reputation as a forgiving coral for newer reef keepers. It is considered reef safe and does well under moderate lighting and water movement, which makes it easy to place in a mixed reef without a lot of fuss. Hobbyist documentation on this specific species is still fairly limited, so sourcing it from reputable collectors with clear provenance is worthwhile.