Hood Coral

About

Hood coral (Stylophora kuehlmanni) is a small-polyp stony coral native to the shallow reef environments of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Somali coast. A region known for producing some particularly robust and colorful coral forms. In the wild it grows from the surface down to around 30 meters, forming colonies of thin, irregular branches roughly the width of a pencil that often fuse together where they meet, creating a tangled, almost skeletal framework. The branches tip off in blunt ends, and the prominently raised, tubular corallites are capped with well-developed hoods that give the whole colony a noticeably spiny texture when viewed up close. Coloration tends toward cream or pale pink, with occasional greenish individuals. One appealing trait is that tentacles are frequently extended during daylight hours, giving colonies an active, almost animated look even when the lights are on. In the aquarium this species calls for strong water movement and high light levels to thrive. Conditions that generally align with other demanding SPS setups. It is best suited to hobbyists who already have some experience keeping small-polyp stony corals and have dialed in stable water chemistry, since it shares the typical SPS sensitivity to parameter swings.