Mystic Sunset Chalice (Echinophyllia sp.) Care Guide
The Mystic Sunset Chalice is an aquacultured Echinophyllia sp. colour morph; a slow-growing plating chalice whose care follows the Echinophyllia genus.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Mystic Sunset Chalice is an aquacultured colour morph of the genus Echinophyllia. It is a propagated trade selection rather than a separately described species, so its husbandry follows that of the Echinophyllia chalice corals. Plating colonies bear bright corallite eyes set in a textured, slightly bubbly surface and the morph is regarded as slow-growing.
Taxonomy
- Family: Lobophylliidae
- Genus: Echinophyllia
- Trade designation: Echinophyllia sp. 'Mystic Sunset'
- Note: 'Mystic Sunset' is an aquaculture colour morph, not a formally described species
Origin
Specimens in the trade are aquacultured, farmed and propagated in dedicated facilities. Echinophyllia can be propagated by fragging; this morph is regarded as a slow-growing, centerpiece coral.
Aquarium care
- Temperature: 24-26 degrees C (75-79 degrees F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 SG
- Alkalinity (KH): 8-11 dKH
- Calcium: 400-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Difficulty: advanced
- Minimum tank maturity: about 6 months
Lighting and flow
As a chalice coral, the Mystic Sunset Chalice is kept under lower to moderate light, around 50-150 PAR, with direct high-intensity light avoided to prevent bleaching. Moderate to low, indirect flow keeps the colony clean while preventing the tissue recession that strong direct currents can cause.
Feeding
The morph is primarily photosynthetic through its zooxanthellae but benefits from occasional spot feeding with small meaty or planktonic foods such as mysis; chalice corals are slow eaters and feed best after dark.
Compatibility
Chalice corals can extend long sweeper tentacles that sting neighbouring corals, so colonies should be placed with ample spacing from other corals. The morph is reported as reef-safe alongside fish and shrimp.
Mystic Sunset Chalice (Echinophyllia sp.): Propagation Guide
Overview
The Mystic Sunset Chalice is a high-color designer morph of the genus Echinophyllia, a colonial large-polyp stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific. Like its relatives it is partly encrusting and partly forms laminate plates, with corallites usually level with the surface on the upper face. The name refers to its orange, pink, and purple sunset coloration, valued as a slow-growing centerpiece.
Reproductive Mode
Echinophyllia chalices reproduce sexually by gamete release in the wild, but a named morph like Mystic Sunset is maintained entirely by asexual fragmentation so the color line is preserved. The fluorescent corallites mark the live polyps each frag must retain.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
The morph is fragged by cutting sections of the encrusting plate, ensuring at least one eye per frag, avoiding cutting through an eye, and leaving a mouth to feed in each piece. Because the cut edges are prone to bacterial infection, an iodine dip is recommended before the frag is glued to a plug to heal.
Conditions for Propagation
Chalices do best under lower-moderate lighting, around 100 PAR, with moderate to lower flow that keeps debris off the tissue. Stable, low-nutrient reef parameters help preserve the sunset pigments while the frag re-encrusts onto its new base.
Common Challenges
As a slow-growing designer morph it re-covers cut skeleton slowly and can fade under unstable or excessive light, so lighting consistency is important. Bacterial infection of cut edges and stinging contact with neighbors are the other principal risks during healing.