These 6 to 8 inch (15 - 20 cm) fleshy large polyp stony coral (LPS) have one or more mouths. They are extremely hardy free living photosynthetic corals and are found on reef slopes and in protected shallow bays. Also, sometimes on sandy or muddy areas in the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific. Tentacles extend at night for feeding purposes. Its large mantle overhangs the lower skeleton and comes in various shades of green, brown, red, and purple. Red specimens usually come from deeper/turbid water, however, will adapt to varying degrees of light intensity in the aquarium. They are low on the list of aggressive corals, as they do not have sweeper tentacles. Iodine supplements are highly beneficial because of its UV protective pigments. As with other fleshy corals living near or on muddy sediment surfaces, they can expand enough to slough off accumulating sediment or have a greater surface area to gather light.
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