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Cabbage leather coral

Sinularia dura

Also known as Scalloped Leather Coral, Cabbage Coral, Lettuce Leather Coral, Flat Leather Coral, Sinularia

SaltwaterCoral

Cabbage leather coral (Sinularia dura)
Haplochromis Date= · CC BY-SA 3.0

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
40 gal
150 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Alcyoniidae
Origin
Grows on shallow Indo-Pacific reef flats and lagoons across the Indian Ocean and western Pacific.

Overview

The cabbage leather coral is a hardy soft coral that sits low on the rockwork of a reef tank. It is easy to keep and suits a beginner's reef.

Did you know

The cabbage leather coral's stiff, cabbage-leaf folds can spread into a wide green ruffle. A big colony becomes a centerpiece soft coral in the tank.

Caring for the cabbage leather coral

Give the cabbage leather coral moderate to bright light and moderate to low flow. Glue its base to rock in a reef of 40 gal (150 L) or larger.

Hold the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4, and keep the salinity stable. It runs on symbiotic zooxanthellae and needs no target feeding. Trace element dosing helps it grow.

Like all leathers, the cabbage leather coral uses mild chemical competition, so keep carbon running. It is gentler on neighbors than the finger leathers. It has been kept alongside sensitive corals without the harm its relative Sinularia flexibilis can cause. It is fine near others of its own kind.

Good to know

Sinularia dura is a soft coral in the family Alcyoniidae and a relative of Sinularia flexibilis. It grows a leathery colony reinforced with tiny skeletal spicules. It sits on a short stalk and folds into large, fleshy lobes shaped like cabbage or lettuce leaves. It is often cream, tan or bright green, with a firm, ruffled surface studded with tiny polyps. The broad folded lobes give it a very different look from the finger leathers.

In the wild

The cabbage leather coral grows on shallow reef flats and lagoons across the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. It forms a low, spreading mound close to the rock rather than tall fingers.

Common questions

What size tank does a cabbage leather coral need?

A cabbage leather coral needs at least 40 gal (150 L).

What temperature and pH does a cabbage leather coral need?

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

What does a cabbage leather coral eat?

A cabbage leather coral runs on symbiotic zooxanthellae, so it needs no target feeding. Trace element dosing helps it grow.

How big does a cabbage leather coral get?

An adult cabbage leather coral reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Related species