In our second installment of “Whatever Happened To…”, we turn our attention to the once insanely popular Duncan Coral. Don’t get me wrong, this coral is still sought after in some circles, but it nowhere near as popular as it once was. About two years ago, the Duncan coral was fetching anywhere from $15-$30 per polyp, but due to the ever shifting attention span of hobbyists, most will turn their nose up to this price. This holds especially true for wild caught specimen, as many different companies like ORA and LiveAquaria are aquaculturing the Duncans, as are many hobbyists.
Despite the color variations, there is only one species of Duncan, which is Duncanopsammia axifuga. They come in a colors of green and purple primarily, and are most commonly found around Australia and other parts of the Indo-Pacific. Duncans thrive under almost any type or intensity of aquarium lighting, provided they are spot fed in aquariums where lighting is subdued. For best growth results, I’ve found high water flow and regular target feedings to work best.
