Honeycomb Coral

Care at a glance

Overview

Goniastrea is a moderately aggressive brain coral, extending sweeper tentacles at night much like its close relative Favia, so keep several inches of clearance from any coral placed nearby. Feeding mysis, brine shrimp or reef roids two to three times a week, aimed at the polyps once they extend after dark, supports steady growth and better color. It is one of the hardier, more forgiving corals in this group and tolerates the kind of parameter swings that would stress a more delicate SPS. It frags well by cutting the skeleton between heads or lobes once a colony is large enough to divide.

In the wild

Goniastrea is common on shallow Indo-Pacific reef flats, where some species tolerate serious heat and exposure at low tide better than almost any other stony coral. In the aquarium it wants moderate light, roughly 75 to 150 PAR, and moderate indirect flow that reaches into the valleys between polyps without blasting them. Place it low to mid on stable rockwork where it can encrust outward over time. Keep temperature 24 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4.

Good to know

Goniastrea is a large polyp stony coral in the family Merulinidae, forming massive rounded or encrusting colonies with a honeycomb pattern of raised, well developed lobes inside each corallite wall. It is closely related to Favia and Favites and is sometimes confused with both, though its more uniform, tightly packed hexagonal cups usually give it away. Some reef-flat species in this genus are among the most heat and stress tolerant corals studied, able to survive the temperature swings and air exposure of a low tide pool.

Did you know

Certain Goniastrea species growing on exposed reef flats can survive being left high and dry at low tide in blazing sun for part of the day, a level of heat and desiccation tolerance that makes them some of the toughest reef-building corals on the planet.

Related species

• 

  Candy Cane Coral

  Caulastraea furcata

  7.9 in (20 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Maze Brain Coral

  Platygyra

  9.8 in (25 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Meteor Shower Coral

  Cyphastrea serailia

  9.8 in (25 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Oxypora Chalice Coral

  Oxypora lacera

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

• 

  Peacock Chalice Coral

  Mycedium elephantotus

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

• 

  Ruffled Coral

  Merulina ampliata

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