Flexible leather coral
Sinularia flexibilis
Sinularia flexibilis forms lobed, fleshy colonies up to 30 cm in diameter. The lobes are soft, flexible, often branched, with a wrinkled surface. Coloration ranges from light beige to brown, sometimes with greenish or purplish hues. Polyps are retractile and appear as small bumps when the colony is disturbed. In moderate flow, the lobes sway gently, resembling anemones. There is no visible sexual dimorphism; reproduction is both sexual (broadcast spawning) and asexual (fragmentation).
Recommended parameters
| Parameter | Recommended range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 24–27 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 |
| KH | 8–12 |
| Salinity | 1.023–1.025 |
| NO₃ | ≤ 10 |
| PO₄ | ≤ 0.1 |
Care
Care notes
A minimum tank size of 100 liters is recommended for Sinularia flexibilis. Water parameters should be stable: temperature 24-27°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.023-1.025. Moderate to intense lighting (PAR 100-200) and moderate water flow are ideal. Although primarily photosynthetic, occasional feeding with phytoplankton or micro-organisms can boost growth. Beware of allelopathy: this species releases terpenoids that can inhibit the growth of other soft or hard corals nearby. Activated carbon filtration is advised.