I ran across an unusual species of Bubble Coral this week. The two common forms of bubble coral are Plerogyra sinuosa and Plerogyra lichtensteini. At first glance Plerogyra discus looks like sunuosa, but when expanded it takes on a whole new look. Almost like a bubbly scolymia. This coral has green bubbles and a purple center with a large 1″ mouth.

This is an unusual frogspawn that is not often seen in the hobby. Euphyllia divisa is also know as Wall Frogspawn. Unlike typical frogspawn that has branching heads, divisa is more like a bubble coral. Euphyllia divisa is more fragile than regular frogspawn and is considered more difficult to keep. If the coral shows any signs of recession, do an immediate coral dip. At this point, the coral is most likely already lost.

Actinic Bulbs have been known to cause fluorescence in some coral pigments. The first picture is the Favia Brain Coral taken under normal day lighting. The second picture is taken under Actinic bulbs. The addition of Actinic Blue bulbs can dramatically change the appearance of your aquarium.

Favia Brain Coral with Daylight Lighting Pictured Above.

Favia Brain Coral with Actinic Lighting Pictured Above.

If you don’t already have actinic lighting, consider replacing one of your daylight bulbs with a fluorescent Actinic Bulb to encourage coral fluorescence.

The first picture is of a Pink Sun Polyps or Pink Sun Coral. The coral is most commonly seen in orange, yellow and black. The second picture is of the Pink Sun Polyps extended and ready to feed. As you can see the feeding tentacles are still orange like most Sun Corals. This color variation is extremely uncommon, but there have been a few reports of them entering the country.

This is a Australian Acanthastrea. It is a Large Polyp Stony coral that requires moderate light and water flow. These stunning Acan colonies come in a wide array of colors. This picture is taken from our own Saltwater Fish Tank.