Elegance Coral care guide
Elegance Coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei) — reef coral, 24-26 °C, PAR 50-150, salinity 1.024-1.026.
Overview
The Elegance Coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei) is a solitary LPS with long pink-tipped tentacles surrounding a wide oral disc. Once one of the most commonly imported corals, it is now considered notoriously sensitive in modern reef aquaria.
Taxonomy
- Family: Euphylliidae
- Genus: Catalaphyllia
- Scientific name: Catalaphyllia jardinei
- Common synonyms: Elegance, Wonder Coral
Habitat
Native to lagoonal soft-sediment habitats across the Indo-Pacific and Australia. Wild Catalaphyllia rest directly on the seafloor in protected back-reef zones with gentle water movement and moderate, often turbid, lighting.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Salinity (SG): 1.024-1.026
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Phosphate (max): 0.03 ppm
- Nitrate (max): 5 ppm
Placement and lighting
- Lighting (PAR): 50-150 PAR
- Flow: low
- Recommended tank age: 1 year
- Growth rate: 0.05-0.2 cm/mo
Place on a clean sandbed in the lower aquarium with low flow and moderate light. Avoid rock placement entirely — the underside expands and tears against hard surfaces. Spacing from other corals must be generous due to long sweeper tentacles.
Feeding
Photosynthetic but historically benefits from regular spot-feeding with meaty foods such as mysis, brine shrimp and reef-roids, plus amino-acid supplements. Feed two to three times per week.
Compatibility
Very aggressive sweeper tentacles can damage almost any neighbouring coral. Best kept with a large open buffer or as a centrepiece. Reef-safe with shrimp and fish.
Care notes
Requires a mature, low-nutrient but stable system at least one year old. Sensitivity to swings in alkalinity, temperature and salinity is high; collectors recommend prolonged acclimation and stable lighting from day one.