Lobophyllia recta Propagation Guide
Propagating the closed brain coral Lobophyllia recta (the former Symphyllia recta): dividing the colony down its parallel meandering valleys with a band saw so each frag keeps polyps and skeleton.
Overview
Lobophyllia recta is a closed brain coral in the family Lobophylliidae, the species traded under the older name Symphyllia recta. Reef Builders records that all Symphyllia corals were reclassified into Lobophyllia in 2016, and describes Symphyllia-type colonies as one solid skeleton with puffy tissue and thick walls, the polyp mouths sitting at the centre of the valleys. It is a colonial Indo-Pacific coral with neat parallel meandering valleys.
Reproductive Mode
Lobophyllia recta is colonial, growing as a single connected skeleton whose corallites share walls, with polyps lining the valleys. Because the colony is one continuous tissue-and-skeleton sheet, it can be cut into pieces that each keep living polyps, so it propagates both asexually by fragging in captivity and sexually by spawning in the wild.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Reef Builders states most LPS corals require a band saw. On a closed brain coral the cut is run down the parallel valleys between the thick walls, taking sections that each include polyps with their skeleton. A coolant of home-tank water tinted light amber with iodine disinfects the cuts, after which each section is dried and glued to a flat-based plug for stability.
Conditions for Propagation
Reef Builders notes that after cutting the mucus should be gently basted off, with polyps extending within hours and cut edges expanding within days. Steady chemistry, moderate flow and clean water help the wounds knit. The thick, puffy tissue produces heavy mucus, which should be allowed to dissipate so it does not irritate neighbouring corals during recovery.
Sexual Reproduction
As a zooxanthellate stony coral in the Lobophylliidae, Lobophyllia recta reproduces sexually by broadcasting gametes into the water column, where fertilisation produces planula larvae that disperse, settle and grow into new colonies. This pathway, distinct from fragmentation, is how the species renews populations on the reef.
Common Challenges
Because the polyps sit inside the valleys, Reef Builders warns that cutting there risks damaging them, so the blade must stay centred between the walls. The thick tissue tears if the saw strays, and the genus is moderately aggressive with abundant mucus, so frags need spacing while they heal. Poor water quality slows recovery and encourages tissue recession at the cut edges.