Nano-Reef.com » Coral Information » Torch Coral
Torch Coral
Scientific Name
Euphyllia glabrescens
Common Names
Torch Coral, Branching Hammer or Branching Anchor Coral, Pom-Pom Coral.
Lighting
Medium to High
Current
Medium to High
Agressiveness
High
Difficulty
Medium
The Torch Coral is a beautiful addition to any aquarium with proper lighting and current. Identification is simple when compared to other members of the Euphyllia family, the polyps are long with a lighter colored tip and compact corallites. Colors can range from drab faded browns to bright pink and green with translucent polyps. The skeleton is a branching one, starting with one stalk at the bottom and branching into several as it grows. Each stalk has another head on it consisting of hundreds of small polyps.
The Torch Coral does not require direct feeding but does benefit from occasional supplementation. Often food will fall into its central mouth when the fish or invertebrates of the aquarium are fed. High lighting of proper spectrum is favored.
The Torch is a perfect candidate for fragging and propagating as it?s skeleton is remarkably easy to divide. It is an aggressive species with long sweeper tentacles and no fear to defend itself from neighboring corals. Avoid placing the Torch near other corals. Contact with a sweeper tentacle will cause extreme pain to even large humans.
The Torch is a common sight at local fish stores, but should be avoided by novice aquarists. In nature they are commonly found in reef slopes in large colonies, deeper than most other LPS corals.
Matt Sander 06/28/2003
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