Imported many years ago, now aqua-cultured by many reef enthusiasts, the Tie Dye mushroom coral is actually a corallimorph. There is a long standing debate that “jawbreaker” and “tie dye” mushrooms are different, but they are the same. The picture above came to us from Joe Knows Reefs and he currently has 3 different Tie Dye mushrooms for sale. The mushrooms came from Mark Poletti – a well known enthusiast and reef keeper from California. Over time these unique mushrooms can develop additional colors, from red to green, yellow and sometimes purple and blue.
Mushrooms corallimorphs are one of the easiest corals to maintain in the reef aquarium however, some prefer lower illumination and slow to moderate water movement. Considered semi-aggressive in nature, it is advisable to provide this coral adequate space between itself and other corals while considering growth and asexual reproduction. Reproduction in the aquarium occurs primarily by budding or longitudinal fission, a process by which the coral divides itself in half and forming a new mouth on each half. In the wild, these corals typically do quite well in the nutrient-rich backwaters and other areas with greater turbidity. Therefore, having pristine water quality for this Corallimorph is not an absolute necessity.
To pick up one of these beauties please visit Joe Knows Reefs on the new arrivals page.
