Pistillata stylophora
Stylophora pistillata
Stylophora pistillata forms bushy colonies with thick, rounded branches reaching 30–40 cm in diameter. The polyps are small, retractable, and coloration ranges from pink to purple, sometimes green or brown. Branch tips are often lighter. This species has stinging sweeper tentacles that extend at night to defend its space. There is no obvious sexual dimorphism, but asexual reproduction via fragmentation is common.
Recommended parameters
| Parameter | Recommended range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 24–27 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 |
| KH | 8–12 |
| Salinity | 1.024–1.026 |
| NO₃ | ≤ 5 |
| PO₄ | ≤ 0.05 |
Care
Care notes
Minimum tank size 100 liters, with intense lighting (LED or metal halide) and moderate to strong flow. Parameters: temperature 24-27°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.024-1.026, calcium 400-450 ppm, magnesium 1250-1350 ppm, KH 8-12 dKH, nitrates <5 ppm, phosphates <0.05 ppm. Feeding: photosynthetic, but may benefit from phytoplankton or fine zooplankton. Beware of stinging tentacles: space at least 10 cm from other corals. Sensitive to parameter fluctuations.