Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia divisa) Care Guide
An LPS coral with flowing tentacles ending in split tips resembling frog eggs. Mesmerizing movement in the current.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Euphyllia divisa is a species in the family Euphylliidae. An LPS coral with flowing tentacles ending in split tips resembling frog eggs. Mesmerizing movement in the current. Has potent sweeper tentacles that can sting neighboring corals, so needs adequate spacing. Clownfish may host in it as an anemone substitute.
Taxonomy
- Family: Euphylliidae
- Genus: Euphyllia
- Scientific name: Euphyllia divisa
- Origin: Indo-Pacific
Habitat
Euphyllia divisa is a large-polyp stony coral of Indo-Pacific reefs whose fleshy tentacles end in branched, frogspawn-like tips. It hosts symbiotic algae for energy and also captures food; it bears sweeper tentacles that can sting neighbouring corals, so it needs spacing.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: SG 1.024-1.026
- KH: 8-12 dKH
- Water flow: moderate
- Adult size: 10-30 cm
- Lifespan: 10-30 years
- Difficulty: intermediate
Diet
Classified as omnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: weekly + photosynthetic. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: semi-aggressive
- Position in tank: bottom
- Compatible tank mates: Clownfish, Wrasses, Gobies
- Avoid with: Nearby Corals, Coral Nippers
Reef compatibility
Generally classified as reef-safe with caution: may disturb other sessile invertebrates, sting neighbouring corals or prey on small ornamental shrimps, so placement and tankmates need consideration.
Propagating Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia divisa)
Overview
Frogspawn coral, Euphyllia divisa, is a large-polyped stony coral of the family Euphylliidae named for its bulbous, multi-tipped tentacles that resemble a clump of frog eggs. It is native to the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Southeast Asia, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Palau. A distinguishing feature is its flabello-meandroid wall skeleton, which separates it from the tree-like branching frogspawn relatives.
Reproductive Mode
Like other members of the genus, the coral relies on symbiotic zooxanthellae and reproduces sexually in the wild and asexually by colony division. For the hobbyist, propagation is achieved by fragging, and the wall skeleton makes the species somewhat more demanding to divide than its branching counterparts.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Because Euphyllia divisa carries a continuous wall-type corallite skeleton rather than discrete branches, fragging usually means cutting through the wall, which exposes more sensitive tissue than fragging a branching coral. Cuts should be planned to keep each piece with intact polyp tissue and its own skeleton, then dipped and mounted to recover.
- Use sterile bone cutters or a rotary tool, with gloves and eye protection.
- Plan the cut line through the wall to keep healthy tissue on each piece.
- Make as few cuts as possible to limit damage to the sensitive flesh.
- Dip and mount the frags, then place them in adequate flow to heal.
Conditions for Propagation
Frogspawn frags recover under moderate lighting and moderate flow, with stable alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium and low nutrients. A healthy frag rebuilds a firm flesh band over the cut edge and inflates its bulbous tentacles fully once it has settled onto the new base.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction in Euphyllia is broadcast spawning, with eggs and sperm released into the water for external fertilization, typically synchronized around lunar cues. This wild reproductive route is not practical for hobbyist propagation, so the species is multiplied in the aquarium exclusively by fragging.
Common Challenges
Euphyllia divisa deploys long sweeper tentacles armed with stinging cnidocytes, so frags must be spaced well away from other corals. The most serious post-fragging risk is brown jelly disease, which can kill a colony within weeks and spread to neighbors; never frag or place a specimen already showing a brown gel-like coating.
Propagating Gold Frogspawn (Euphyllia divisa)
Overview
The Gold Frogspawn is a sought-after color morph of Euphyllia divisa with bright yellow-gold tentacles, collected mainly from Australia. It is a large-polyped stony coral of the family Euphylliidae whose bulbous, multi-tipped tentacles resemble a clutch of frog eggs. Like the base species it grows on a flabello-meandroid wall skeleton and depends on symbiotic zooxanthellae.
Reproductive Mode
As a morph of Euphyllia divisa, the Gold Frogspawn reproduces sexually in the wild and asexually by colony division. Because the gold coloration is a clonal trait, hobbyists multiply this morph only by fragging, which preserves the parent's color in every piece.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Euphyllia divisa carries a continuous wall-type corallite skeleton rather than separate branches, so fragging the Gold Frogspawn typically means cutting through the wall and its sensitive flesh. Cuts are planned to leave each piece with healthy polyp tissue over its own skeleton, after which the frags are dipped and mounted to recover.
- Work with sterile bone cutters or a rotary tool, wearing gloves and eye protection.
- Plan the cut line through the wall so each piece keeps healthy tissue.
- Keep cuts to a minimum to limit damage to the sensitive flesh.
- Dip and mount the frags, then place them in adequate flow to heal.
Conditions for Propagation
Gold Frogspawn frags settle under moderate lighting and moderate flow, with stable alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium and low nutrients. A recovering frag rebuilds a firm flesh band over the cut and reinflates its bulbous tentacles fully once established on the new base.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction follows that of Euphyllia divisa: broadcast spawning with eggs and sperm released for external fertilization, generally timed to lunar cues. This wild route is not used by hobbyists, who clone the morph through fragging to keep its gold color.
Common Challenges
Euphyllia extend long sweeper tentacles tipped with stinging cnidocytes, so Gold Frogspawn frags need clear spacing from other corals. The leading post-fragging danger is brown jelly disease, which can destroy a colony within weeks and spread to neighbors; reject any piece already coated in a brown gel-like film.