Leather Finger Coral

Leather Finger Coral

We got this guy last week with the Banggais (Mr. Roper is now hiding in the rock and Mrs. Roper chases him back into hiding whenever he emerges. We believe he may be hatching eggs in his mouth!). Anyway, this is our Leather Finger Coral. It comes in lots of different colors. I've seen many pink and tan ones but this one is fluorescent green! It likes a spot with high water flow (although after putting it in a high water flow spot, it seemed to retract; we may move it to a medium flow spot instead). Like other softies, this guy needs less light than his stony cousins. Because of it's soft body, it's only means of defense is chemical warfare. It secretes toxins to impede the growth of competing corals around it. The main reason we selected this guy is that they are H-A-R-D-Y! Plus, they grow big and tall with cool-looking branches like a tree, which is different from our other corals.

This guy is in the Alcyoniidae family (and in the Lobophytum genus). Confusingly enough, the list of common names for the leather finger coral goes on and on: Thin Finger Leather Coral, Knobby Finger Leather Coral, Devil’s Hand/Finger Leather Coral, Dead Man’s Finger Coral, Bushy Soft Coral, Chili Pepper Coral, Cabbage Leather Coral, Trough Coral, Sinularia Finger Thick and Lobed Leather Coral. Geez! Pick one and stick with it!

Links:
http://www.livestockusa.org/LEATHERS.html
http://www.thesea.org/leather_coral/finger_leather_coral.htm
http://www.themarinecenter.com/corals/coralssoft/leathercoralfingerleather/alssoft/leathercoralfingerleather/ http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/385392/finger_leather_coral_branches_in_your.html?cat=53