TankBud

Branching hammer coral

Fimbriaphyllia paraancora

Also known as Euphyllia paraancora, Branching Hammer

SaltwaterCoral

Branching hammer coral (Fimbriaphyllia paraancora)
Biota · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Very common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Euphylliidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific

Overview

The branching hammer coral is a reef-safe large polyp stony coral for the lower part of a reef tank. It is more forgiving than the wall form, though still best with some reef experience.

Did you know

The branching hammer is the hammer coral most shops sell today. That is largely because a colony can be split one head at a time without risking the rest.

Caring for the branching hammer coral

Keep a branching hammer coral under moderate light, around 80 to 150 PAR, with low to moderate indirect flow. Place it low on the rockwork or on the sand.

It needs a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Symbiotic zooxanthellae provide most of its nutrition, and it supplements that by capturing meaty foods.

Its sweeper tentacles can reach several inches at night. Allow about 6 inches of clearance from corals outside the hammer, frogspawn and torch group. Fragging is straightforward, because single heads can be cut free at the branch.

Good to know

Fimbriaphyllia paraancora belongs to the family Euphylliidae. Veron described it in 1990, and it was formerly known as Euphyllia paraancora. It differs from the wall hammer mainly in its skeleton, which branches rather than growing as a continuous ridge. Because every head is independent, a colony can lose one polyp to damage without the problem spreading.

In the wild

The branching hammer coral comes from sheltered Indo-Pacific reef slopes and lagoons. Its colonies form clusters of separate heads, each on its own tube of skeleton. The tentacles carry the same hammer or anchor-shaped tips as the wall hammer and sway in gentle current.

Common questions

What size tank does a branching hammer coral need?

A branching hammer coral needs at least 20 gal (75 L).

What temperature and pH does a branching hammer coral need?

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

What does a branching hammer coral eat?

A branching hammer coral gets most of its nutrition from symbiotic zooxanthellae. It supplements that by capturing meaty foods.

How big does a branching hammer coral get?

An adult branching hammer coral reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Related species