Picture of the Week, Red Acanthastrea

Acanthastrea lordhowensis corals, or simply acans for short, have sort of fallen from their top spot in terms of desirability and trendiness over the last couple of years. But that trend hasn’t stopped us from featuring this gorgeous, and rather puffy, individual in the latest AquaNerd Picture of the Week. This coral is deep red with each polyp showing a ring of bluish gray that expands and collapses as the coral inflates or deflates, respectively. The interesting thing about this coral, and most of the other LPS that reside in this tank, is that it always has its feeding tentacles extended, at least partially. The owner of this aquarium keeps it dimly lit, or at least predominantly blue, and has a regular habit of feeding almost as if the tank was full of non-photosynthetic corals. This feeding strategy may require a little extra effort when it comes to routine maintenance, but it has obviously paid off.