Featured Coral of the Week – 11/2/2015 Joes Signature Rhodactis

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Joes Signature Rhodactis

Joes Signature Rhodactis

This week’s featured coral of the comes to us from Joe Knows Reefs.  This beautiful rhodactis polyp is currently available but there is only one available at this time.  At $34.99 this is a great deal.

The Rhodactis Mushroom is also sometimes referred to as a Hairy or Small Elephant Ear Mushroom. It usually is a violet to blue color, often with margins and highlights of green. Rhodactis often has a red mouth, and papillae (small processes or projections radiating away from the mouth ) that form cauliflower-like patterns, and can grow up to 3 inches in diameter.

Care

Rhodactis mushrooms are very easy to maintain in the reef aquarium and they prefer slower water movement. Lower to medium light levels are fine for most Rhodactis species.  This coral is considered to be semi-aggressive and requires adequate space between itself and other corals.

Reproduction

Longitudinal fission is the primary means of reproduction, also refered to as assexual reproduction.

The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae hosted within its body provide the majority of its nutritional requirements through photosynthesis but it will also consume solid foods as seen in Yuma coral (similar in morphology to Rhodactis mushrooms) video consuming Fauna Marin LPS pellets.

 

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About Author

Scott Groseclose is the owner of AquaNerd, Aquarium Specialty, Aqua Specialty Wholesale, BioTek Marine, & The Carolina Reef Experience. He has a degree in Biology from St. Andrews University and he has been a passionate reef keeper since 1988.