Pulsing Xenia
Xenia elongata
Also known as Xenia, Pom Pom Xenia, Pulse Coral
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
- 11 gal (40 L)
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Easy
- Rarity
- Very common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific reefs
- Family
- Xeniidae
Overview
A sessile pulsing octocoral that spreads rapidly by budding and by dropping small pieces that reattach. It is passive and low-sting toward neighbors, competing only by fast overgrowth, so it is usually confined to an island rock and prized for its constant hypnotic motion.
In the wild
Xenia elongata is famous for the rhythmic opening and closing of its feathery polyps, which pulse like tiny grasping hands. It does well under moderate light around 100 to 200 PAR and prefers calmer, indirect flow, since strong direct current stops the pulsing. Place it low to mid on the rock, ideally on an isolated island surrounded by sand, because it spreads across rock extremely fast and is hard to remove once established.
Good to know
Xenia is an octocoral whose polyps pulse by actively contracting, and the exact purpose is still debated, with leading ideas being gas exchange, boosting photosynthesis, and shedding waste at the tissue surface. It relies heavily on zooxanthellae and dissolved nutrients rather than captured prey and can even do well in higher-nutrient water. It is notoriously sensitive to swings in alkalinity, which is the most common cause of a xenia colony suddenly melting.
Did you know
Xenia is one of the few animals that visibly moves on its own without external current, opening and closing its polyps dozens of times a minute, and no one has fully settled why it bothers to pulse at all.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Keeping Pulsing Xenia?
Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.
Related species
Waving Hand Coral
Anthelia7.9 in (20 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Alveopora Coral
Alveopora7.9 in (20 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga7.9 in (20 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Green Star Polyps
Pachyclavularia violacea7.9 in (20 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Montipora Digitata (Finger Coral)
Montipora digitata7.9 in (20 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Montipora Plating (Cap Coral)
Montipora capricornis7.9 in (20 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)