Lobo Brain care guide
Lobo Brain (Lobophyllia hemprichii) — reef coral, 24-26 °C, PAR 75-175, salinity 1.024-1.026.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Lobophyllia hemprichii is a massive multi-lobed brain coral with deep gyri between lobes. The species displays a wide range of colours; Australian specimens command premium prices in the reef trade.
Taxonomy
- Family: Lobophylliidae
- Genus: Lobophyllia
- Scientific name: Lobophyllia hemprichii
- Common synonyms: Lobed Brain Coral, Lobophyllia
Habitat
Widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. Wild colonies occupy reef slopes and lagoonal habitats at moderate depth, often on protected substrate.
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): 75-175 PAR
- Flow: low
- Recommended tank age: 3 months
- Growth rate: 0.1-0.3 cm/mo
Mount in the middle of the aquarium on stable rockwork with moderate light and low flow. Spacing of several centimetres around the colony is essential because sweeper tentacles extend after lights-out.
Feeding
Photosynthetic with strong response to spot-feeding. Offer mysis, reef-roids and amino-acid supplements one to two times per week to support growth and lobe colour.
Compatibility
Moderately aggressive at night via sweeper tentacles. Suitable for mixed reefs with adequate spacing. Reef-safe with shrimp and fish.
Care notes
Stable alkalinity, calcium and magnesium support skeletal growth. Avoid touching the fleshy lobes during maintenance; they bruise easily.
Lobophyllia hemprichii Propagation Guide
Overview
Lobophyllia hemprichii is a large polyp stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae, commonly called the lobed brain coral. According to Wikipedia it forms hemispherical or flattened mounds up to 5 m across, built from thick fleshy polyps in phaceloid or flabello-meandroid corallites. It ranges across the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and Australia, mainly on upper reef slopes at 9–15 m, and is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern.
Reproductive Mode
Unlike the solitary meat corals, Lobophyllia is colonial: it grows by adding corallites and lobes that share a common skeletal base. This modular structure means a colony can be divided into smaller pieces that each carry living tissue and supporting skeleton, so both asexual fragging in captivity and sexual spawning in the wild are available reproductive routes.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Reef Builders advises that most LPS corals need a band saw such as a diamond blade for fragging. With a lobed brain coral the cut follows the natural divisions, separating individual lobes or groups of two to four polyps so each frag keeps both flesh and skeleton. Cutting in a bath of home-aquarium water dosed with enough iodine to tint it light amber helps disinfect the wounds; each piece is then dried and glued to a plug with a flat base.
Conditions for Propagation
After cutting, Reef Builders recommends gently basting mucus off the frags; polyps begin extending within hours and the cut edges start to expand within days. Stable parameters, gentle flow and clean water support recovery, while the heavy mucus production typical of brain corals should be allowed to clear so it does not smother neighbours during the aggressive settling-in period.
Sexual Reproduction
As a zooxanthellate stony coral, Lobophyllia hemprichii reproduces sexually by releasing gametes into the water column, where fertilisation produces planula larvae that settle and establish new colonies. Wikipedia notes its resilience is helped by a large population size and wide genetic variability, qualities that come from this broadcast sexual reproduction across its range.
Common Challenges
Lobophyllia is moderately aggressive and produces copious mucus, so fresh frags should be spaced away from other corals while they heal. The fleshy polyps can be torn during cutting if the blade strays into living tissue, and a frag cut too thin may damage the polyp; allow ample skeleton beneath the flesh. Poor water quality slows healing and invites tissue recession at the cut edges.