TankBud

Donut coral

Acanthophyllia deshayesiana

Also known as Doughnut Coral, Meat Coral, Tooth Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Donut coral (Acanthophyllia deshayesiana)
Alexander Vasenin · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
9.8 in
25 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Lobophylliidae
Origin
Australia and Indonesia, from deep inter-reef sand and rubble areas

Overview

The donut coral is a large polyp stony coral that lives loose on the sandbed of a reef tank. It needs a keeper with a little reef experience.

Did you know

A large donut coral can inflate to dinner plate size, several times the width of the compact skeleton hidden underneath. That is why a coral sold as a 4 or 5 inch skeleton can end up looking twice that size once it settles in.

Caring for the donut coral

Keep the donut coral under low light, roughly 30 to 100 PAR, with low, gentle flow. Strong current can expose or damage the tissue over its spiked skeleton. Set it directly on a soft sandbed in a shaded lower spot, away from sharp rock it could settle against.

It needs at least 11 gal (40 L), at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Handle it carefully out of water, since the spiky skeleton under the retracted flesh can scratch bare hands.

The donut coral is one of the most dramatic feeders in the hobby. It all but turns itself inside out to wrap around a piece of krill, silverside or LPS pellet. Spot feeding a couple of times a week noticeably speeds its growth.

It is mostly peaceful, and it only occasionally extends short feeder tentacles at night. A few inches of clearance from neighbors is enough. As a single free-living polyp, it is not propagated by fragging. Nearly all specimens in the trade are wild collected, which keeps large, brightly colored pieces expensive.

Good to know

Acanthophyllia deshayesiana belongs to the family Lobophylliidae and is the only species in its genus. It was long sold and studied as Cynarina deshayesiana, until a 2016 study separated Acanthophyllia back out as its own genus. That shared history is why hobby common names still overlap heavily with Cynarina and Homophyllia. Under its thick, fleshy tissue sits a distinctly spiky skeleton with long pointed septa, unlike the smoother skeleton of a button coral.

In the wild

The donut coral comes mainly from deeper, soft inter-reef areas around Australia and Indonesia. There a single polyp sits loose on sand or fine rubble, rather than cementing to rock.

Common questions

What size tank does a donut coral need?

A donut coral needs at least 11 gal (40 L).

What temperature and pH does a donut coral need?

A donut coral is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a donut coral eat?

A donut coral wraps itself around a piece of krill, silverside or LPS pellet. Spot feed it a couple of times a week to speed its growth.

How big does a donut coral get?

An adult donut coral reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

Related species