Leather Coral

About

Found on subtropical reefs across the Western Pacific, Sarcophyton crassocaule is a soft coral ranging from New Caledonia north through Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands. It belongs to a genus commonly called leather corals or toadstool corals, recognized by their characteristic mushroom-like cap, known as the capitulum, which is fringed with polyps that extend during feeding and retract when disturbed. Like others in the Sarcophyton family, this species is sessile, spending its life anchored to hard substrate while the colony slowly expands over time. In the aquarium, it is a genuinely accessible coral for those newer to reef keeping. It asks for moderate water movement. Enough to keep the surface of the colony free of detritus and to deliver food, but not so intense that the polyps stay permanently retracted. Lighting requirements are similarly undemanding, landing in the moderate range rather than the high-intensity zone that more demanding photosynthetic corals prefer. One thing to keep in mind with any Sarcophyton is that leather corals periodically shed a waxy outer layer as part of normal growth. During this time the colony looks contracted and dull, which can worry newcomers, but it is completely normal and the coral typically reopens fully within a few days.