Hedgehog Coral

Echinopora lamellosa

Also known as Hedgehog Plate Coral, Lamellosa Coral, Echinopora, Tiered Plate Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Hedgehog Coral (Echinopora lamellosa) — NPS - Larry Basch · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 11.8 in (30 cm)
Minimum tank: 26 gal (100 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Grows on sheltered reef slopes and lagoon floors throughout the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to the central Pacific.
Family: Merulinidae

Overview

A 100 liter or larger reef suits it, with moderate to bright light and moderate flow to keep detritus off the plates. Hold standard reef parameters of temperature 24 to 27 C, pH 8.1 to 8.4, alkalinity 8 to 11 dKH, and salinity near 1.025. It is hardy enough for intermediate keepers and gets most of its food from light, though it takes fine plankton. Give the plates room to expand since they can overgrow neighbors, and it may put out short sweeper tentacles at the edges.

In the wild

Forms thin overlapping plates that stack into whorls and tiers like a rosette, often encrusting first before it starts to shelf outward. The surface carries evenly spaced raised corallites that give it a bumpy, spiny look under the lights. Common colors are green, brown, and purple, often with a contrasting rim. Large wild colonies can build broad plating terraces across the reef floor.

Good to know

Echinopora lamellosa is a stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is one of the more plate-forming members of a genus that also includes encrusting and branching species. The raised corallites and thin laminar skeleton help it shed sediment in the murky lagoon habitats where it often lives.