Merulina ampliata (Ridge Coral) Care Guide
Merulina ampliata is a widespread Indo-Pacific stony coral forming laminar plates with fan-like ridges; IUCN status Least Concern.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Merulina ampliata is a colonial stony coral and the type species of the genus Merulina. Colonies are laminar or subarborescent, often combining both growth-forms in a single large colony, and may form encrusting plates up to about 1 m across with short, gnarled vertical branches in shallow water. The plates bear short, straight valleys that radiate fan-like from the colony center and become twisted on branching sections.
Taxonomy
- Family: Merulinidae
- Genus: Merulina (Ehrenberg, 1834)
- Scientific name: Merulina ampliata
- Authority: (Ellis & Solander, 1786)
Habitat
The species ranges across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to southern Japan and Australia and east to central Pacific islands. It is reef-associated over a depth range of about 0-40 m and inhabits a wide variety of reef environments, especially lagoons. Coloration is typically pale blue (which may photograph pink) or pale brown.
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: intermediate
- Minimum tank maturity: about 3 months
Lighting and flow
In the reef aquarium Merulina ampliata is kept under medium light (roughly 75-175 PAR) with medium water flow. Its tentacles typically extend only at night, when supplemental feeding can be offered.
Feeding
The coral relies primarily on its symbiotic zooxanthellae and is photosynthetic in the aquarium. It can be supplemented with amino acids and fine planktonic foods, particularly after dark when the polyps are expanded.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The species is usually common throughout its range, though rare in the Red Sea, and is listed under CITES Appendix II.
Ridge Coral (Merulina ampliata): Propagation Guide
Overview
Merulina ampliata is the type species of the genus Merulina in the family Merulinidae, named by Ehrenberg in 1834. Its colonies can be laminar, foliose, columnar, or arborescent, and a single colony can adopt all of these forms; on flat plates the valleys radiate from the centre and become contorted on branching structures, producing the lettuce-like ridge pattern. The genus ranges across the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Japan and the southern central Pacific.
Reproductive Mode
Merulina is a colonial reef-building stony coral. Like other Merulinidae it reproduces sexually by releasing gametes into the water, but in aquaria the colony is multiplied asexually by cutting the plate. Its tendency to switch growth forms means a flat frag may later throw up ridges and branches as it matures.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Plating Merulina is fragged by cutting sections of the plate, ideally along the radiating valleys so each piece keeps several intact ridges with live tissue. A band saw gives a clean cut through the skeleton; frags are dipped, dried, glued to plugs, and returned to gentle flow and light to encrust and resume plating.
Conditions for Propagation
Healing frags do best under medium light and moderate flow that keeps detritus off the plate without scouring the tissue. Stable alkalinity and calcium feed the skeletal growth that lets the frag re-cover its cut edge and extend new ridges.
Common Challenges
Detritus settling in the valleys of a flat frag during healing can cause tissue recession if flow is too low. The species can also overgrow or shade slower neighbors as it plates outward, so frags need clearance from other corals.