Elegance Coral is a type of stony coral that lives in the ocean. It has the scientific name Catalaphyllia jardinei. It’s the only species in the Catalaphyllia genus.
This coral is named Elegance Coral because it has a unique and beautiful look. It’s so pretty that many people like to have it in their reef tanks.
Where Is Elegance Coral Found?
Elegance Coral is found in many places in the ocean. It lives on reefs in the western and central Pacific Oceans. Sometimes, it can be found in the eastern Indian Ocean too.
Elegance Coral is found as far north as Japan and as far south as northern Australia. This coral likes to live in water that has strong currents and it usually settles in sandy areas.
What Does Elegance Coral Look Like?
Elegance Coral is a large type of coral. It has very big, easy-to-see polyps. Polyps are like the coral’s little arms. They grow on a large skeleton that branches out.
Each polyp has very big, long tendrils and a big, fleshy disc at the mouth.
Elegance Coral can be many different colors, like fluorescent green, lime green, and brown.
How Does Elegance Coral Reproduce?
Elegance Coral can make more of itself in two ways: sexually and asexually.
When Elegance Coral reproduces sexually, it makes new branches that drop off and form new colonies. When it reproduces asexually, it uses a process called budding.
What Does Elegance Coral Eat?
Like most photosynthetic coral, Elegance Coral has tiny plants inside it called zooxanthellae. These plants convert sunlight into sugar for energy.
Elegance Coral also has a ‘mouth’ that it uses to eat bits of food gathered by its large tendrils. This behavior is similar to how sea anemones eat.
What Do Elegance Corals Eat in Aquariums?
In aquariums, Elegance Coral needs to be fed often. It likes to eat small pieces of food, like mysis, krill, and brine shrimp.
The food should be no bigger than 1/4 inch.
What Kind of Care Does Elegance Coral Need in An Aquarium?
Elegance Coral needs a few specific things to stay healthy in an aquarium. It likes a strong current, but not too strong. It also needs a good amount of light, but not direct light from metal halides.
Elegance Coral also needs to be placed on soft sand, away from rocks. If other organisms touch the Elegance Coral, it could cause it to die.
Elegance Coral can also get a disease called Elegance Coral Syndrome (ECS), which can kill it.
How Can You Keep Elegance Coral Healthy in An Aquarium?
There are a few things you can do to help keep Elegance Coral healthy in an aquarium.
You should change the water often, keep the water temperature and salinity at the right levels, and give it the right amount of food and light.
You should also keep Elegance Coral away from other organisms and make sure it doesn’t get ECS.
What Are Some Interesting Facts About Elegance Coral?
Elegance Coral has some interesting features. For example, it has a cone-shaped, wedge-like skeleton that allows it to bury into soft substrates.
Elegance Coral also has very strong stinging tentacles that it uses to capture small prey and defend itself. It can live in both shallow and deep waters, and it can grow to be quite large.
What Is the Conservation Status of Elegance Coral?
Elegance Coral is overexploited and collected in large quantities from the wild for the aquarium trade.
This has led to concerns about over-collection and the survival of the Elegance Coral species.
Elegance Coral Characteristics
| Temperament: | Aggressive |
| Care Level: | Moderate |
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Euphylliidae |
| Genus: | Catalaphyllia |
| Scientific Name: | Catalaphyllia jardinei |
| Also Known As: | Elegance Coral, Wonder Coral, Ridge Coral |
| Conservation Status: | Vulnerable |