Toadstool leather
Sarcophyton
Also known as Toadstool Coral, Mushroom Leather, Sarco, Leather Coral
SaltwaterCoral
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
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Very common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Alcyoniidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific reefs
Overview
A sessile leather coral that competes chemically rather than by stinging. Its allelopathic terpene compounds can stunt or harm nearby corals, particularly SPS and other softies in a small system, so it earns an aggressive rating and should be given generous spacing plus good carbon filtration.
In the wild
Sarcophyton grows as a stalked cap shaped like a toadstool, with a wide polyp-covered crown on a thick trunk. It does well under moderate light, roughly 100 to 200 PAR, and likes brisk, somewhat chaotic flow while disliking a single hard direct jet. Place it low to mid on the rockwork with open space around it, since a mature cap gets large and the coral needs room away from sensitive neighbors.
Good to know
Sarcophyton is a leather coral in the family Alcyoniidae that periodically sheds a waxy surface film to slough off algae and detritus, going closed and dull for a day or two before reopening. It is well documented for allelopathy, releasing chemical compounds such as sarcophytoxide that irritate or suppress neighboring corals, especially when crowded. Running activated carbon and a skimmer helps keep these terpenoid toxins in check.
Did you know
When a toadstool closes up and looks slimy for a couple of days it is usually just shedding its waxy coating, a normal cleaning cycle that alarms new keepers who think the coral is dying.
Common questions
What size tank does a Toadstool leather need?
A Toadstool leather needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Toadstool leather need?
A Toadstool leather is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
How big does a Toadstool leather get?
An adult Toadstool leather reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).
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