Lobophytum pauciflorum Propagation Guide

Propagating the encrusting devil's hand Lobophytum pauciflorum through cutting and natural self-fragmentation, with attachment and recovery advice.

Overview

Lobophytum pauciflorum is an encrusting leather coral of the family Alcyoniidae (class Octocorallia). It is one of the devil's hand corals, but its form tends to spread as flatter pads bearing finger-like lobes rather than a tall trunk. The genus is widespread in shallow tropical Indo-Pacific reefs, and the coral relies on symbiotic zooxanthellae for most of its nutrition.

Reproductive Mode

In aquaria the coral is multiplied asexually. Cuttings regenerate into independent colonies, and leather corals also spread on their own by shedding small tissue fragments, budding off projections, or migrating across a surface and leaving attached pieces behind. Because the growth form is encrusting, edges of the pad can be divided where they meet the rock.

Fragging / Asexual Propagation

Cut a lobe or an edge section with coral scissors or a blade; including a chip of the underlying rock gives the frag a firm base to bond to. Expect the coral to release slime, which should be basted off and kept out of the main system. After drying the surfaces, glue the frag to a plug, or hold it with a rubber band or a thread of monofilament line until the tissue grips on its own.

Cut a lobe or a pad edge, ideally with a sliver of rock.
Baste away the slime before it spreads.
Dry, then glue, band, or tie the cutting to the substrate.
Keep the frag in gentle flow until it heals and holds.

Conditions for Propagation

Low flow during the first days lets the adhesive set and the wound close. Once the frag is anchored and polyps reopen, it can be moved to brighter light and stronger current matching the colony's usual position on the reef.

Common Challenges

Mucus from cutting can briefly degrade water quality, so a water change or extra filtration is sensible afterward. A frag that stays shut for a few days is healing normally; persistent closure combined with tissue breakdown indicates a problem rather than the propagation cut itself.