Finger Leather

Care at a glance

Overview

A sessile, hardy leather coral that competes by chemical warfare rather than stinging. Its terpene allelopathy is strong enough to harm nearby corals, especially Acropora and other SPS, which earns it an aggressive rating and makes spacing plus carbon filtration important in a mixed reef.

In the wild

Sinularia leathers form branching finger-like or ruffled lobes and add height and structure to a soft coral reef. They do well under moderate light around 75 to 150 PAR and prefer moderate to strong flow, which helps them shed their waxy coating and keeps detritus from settling in the folds. Place them low to mid on stable rock with room to expand, keeping SPS and delicate corals at a distance.

Good to know

Sinularia is a leather coral in the family Alcyoniidae that stiffens its tissue with tiny calcite spicules called sclerites. Like other leathers it periodically sheds a waxy mucus film, and that shed mucus carries terpene compounds that can irritate or kill neighboring corals through allelopathy. It is one of the more chemically potent softies, so activated carbon is recommended to strip these compounds from the water.

Did you know

Sinularia leathers are among the most studied corals in marine chemistry because their potent terpenoid defense compounds have been screened for antibacterial, antifungal and even anticancer activity in laboratories.

Related species

• 

  Cabbage Leather Coral

  Sinularia dura

  11.8 in (30 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Flexible Finger Leather Coral

  Sinularia flexibilis

  11.8 in (30 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Toadstool Leather

  Sarcophyton

  11.8 in (30 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Cauliflower Colt Coral

  Klyxum simplex

  9.8 in (25 cm)26 gal (100 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Colt Coral

  Cladiella

  11.8 in (30 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Devil's Hand Leather Coral

  Lobophytum

  11.8 in (30 cm)40 gal (150 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)