Stylophora Modax

Sweeper tentacles are common, especially at night and at the tips of branches. These sweepers are like those of Podillopora— effective, but comparatively short at 2.5 cm (1 in.) or less. Sweepers are a surprising feature, because these corals rank exceedingly low in aggression.

Common Name(s): Hood Coral
Scientific/Other Name(s) : Stylophora modax
Care Level : Easy/Medium/Hard
Lighting Requirements: Medium/High
Flow Requirements: Low/Medium
Tank Position: Low/High
Feeding Requirements: Phytoplankton weekly
Temperament / Behavior: Non aggresive
Other Comments:This one found to be from brown/cream colour with cream to white polyps.

Sweeper tentacles are common, especially at night and at the tips of branches. These sweepers are like those of Podillopora— effective, but comparatively short at 2.5 cm (1 in.) or less. Sweepers are a surprising feature, because these corals rank exceedingly low in aggression hierarchies, usually achieving dominance through rapid colonization or oriented translocation. They are "nettled" by almost all other corals in immediate proximity. Perhaps more interesting is that Stylophora have been found to pro-duce allelopathic chemicals. They have been extensively studied in immunological research, and have been reported to engage in autolytic (self-digestion of tissue) behavior in response to exposure to certain other corals.

Like their relatives, Stylophora can be quite hardy and successful in captivity, though they are susceptible to recession, common coral diseases, and bleaching. Polyp bail-out is likely in cases of stress, though fragmentation of branches is the most common method of asexual propagation.