Splatter Paly Care Guide
Splatter Paly is a designer Palythoa zoanthid with a multicolored splatter pattern; a photosynthetic coral that requires palytoxin handling precautions.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Splatter Paly is an aquarium trade name for a designer Palythoa zoanthid (Palythoa sp. 'Splatter') showing a multicolored splatter pattern across the polyp skirt. Like other Palythoa, the polyps sit in an encrusting tissue mat (coenenchyme) over the substrate, and the coral is zooxanthellate, relying on photosynthetic symbionts.
Taxonomy
- Family: Sphenopidae
- Genus: Palythoa (Lamouroux, 1816)
- Scientific name (trade form): Palythoa sp. 'Splatter'
- Order: Zoantharia; Class: Hexacorallia (phylum Cnidaria)
- WoRMS genus AphiaID: 205785 (accepted)
Aquarium care
This is a passive, reef-, shrimp- and fish-safe coral suited to intermediate keepers. It feeds photosynthetically and can be supplemented with amino acids and fine reef foods. It is best added to an established tank of at least about three months.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 SG
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm; Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Nitrate: ≤15 ppm; Phosphate: ≤0.1 ppm
- Lighting: 75-175 PAR (medium); Flow: low
- Growth rate: 0.3-0.7 cm per month (encrusting)
Placement and flow
Splatter Paly does best under medium light and low flow on rockwork. Maintaining stable salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium supports its colour pattern and steady encrusting growth.
Propagating Splatter Paly (Palythoa sp.)
Overview
Splatter is a multicolored designer form of Palythoa, a colonial zoanthid placed in the family Sphenopidae of the order Zoantharia. Its polyps are partially sunk into a shared tissue mat called the coenenchyme, so the colony behaves as one connected organism spreading over the rock. That continuous tissue is exactly what lets the morph be carved into propagation pieces.
Reproductive Mode
Colony enlargement in captivity is dominated by asexual budding from the advancing mat. Each new polyp arises from the shared coenenchyme, and the colony marches across available surface. Hobbyist propagation mirrors this by removing an established multi-polyp section to grow on independently.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
To frag, a cluster of polyps is separated from the parent colony along the coenenchyme and mounted on a plug or rock. Cutting between polyp groups rather than through individual polyps gives cleaner pieces; a frag carrying several polyps roots onto the new base and resumes encrusting growth over the following weeks.
- Choose a section of mat holding several open, well-colored polyps.
- Divide the section from the colony following the connecting coenenchyme.
- Mount the piece on a clean plug or rock with tissue against the surface.
- Set the frag in low flow and stable parameters until it attaches and spreads.
Conditions for Propagation
New frags recover best under medium PAR lighting, low flow, and steady reef chemistry that mirrors the parent colony. Keep direct current off the fresh cut at first so the tissue can bond to the plug, then return the frag to normal placement once it has gripped.
Safety
Palythoa are a recognized source of palytoxin, an extremely toxic non-protein compound for which no antidote exists. It poses serious risk via skin, eyes, and inhaled aerosols. Treat every cut or handling of this colony as a possible exposure and protect yourself accordingly.