LA Laker Scroll Coral N-3-31-A

This cultured Turbinaria species is a scrolling coral featuring dense large polyps. It it is red and yellow. Common names for this species are scroll, turban coral and cup coral.

Turbinaria sp. can be found in a variety of shapes, including massive, columnar, laminar, and foliaceous. Much of this depends on water movement and depth. Colonies in high water movement are more likely to be twisted, while those at deep water depth are typically platelike. T. peltata can be gray, brown, or cream colored, however this one is green. Some may have bright yellow polyps. Turbinaria corals are hermatypic, meaning they are reef-building, contributing a substantial amount of the calcareous framework of a reef. They are the only hermatypic, reef-building corals in the family Dendrophylliidae. They also contain zooxanthellae (dinoflagellate algae), making it one of only three genera in Dendrophylliidae that contain them.

Depending on the species, Turbinaria sp. need a variety of care. However, they are rather hardy and grow quickly, so give them room. T. peltata has longer, fleshy polyps and they are typically extended during the day only. It produces a mucus which can be shed as a net when touched, even slightly. Mother colonies will heal and regrow after breaking, making propagation through fragmentation rather simple.

Please see this article for more information about cup corals.

Scientific Name: Turbinaria sp