Sarcophyton elegans: Fragging and Propagation

How the compact toadstool Sarcophyton elegans is propagated by cutting the round capitulum and reattaching frags, with notes on waxy shedding and terpene defence.

Overview

Sarcophyton elegans is a compact toadstool leather coral in the family Alcyoniidae, formed of a stalk and a neat rounded capitulum. As an octocoral it carries eight-tentacled, dimorphic polyps - feeding autozooids on the cap surface and tiny embedded polyps - and obtains most of its energy from symbiotic zooxanthellae.

Reproductive Mode

Aquarium propagation is asexual: cuttings of the cap regenerate into new colonies and the donor regrows its margin. Sexual spawning occurs on the reef but is not a method used by aquarists.

Fragging / Asexual Propagation

Cut a section from the rim of the rounded capitulum with a clean, sharp blade and divide it into frags. Each piece is banded, held in mesh or an onion bag, or laid on rubble in low flow until it attaches, because the smooth body does not hold glue well on its own. A brief iodine dip followed by a seawater rinse helps clean the cut and clear slime.

Conditions for Propagation

• Lighting: 75-200 PAR (medium)
• Flow: moderate, increased after attachment
• Temperature: 24-26 C
• Mature tank: at least about 3 months old
• Siphon out shed mucus that can irritate neighbours

Sexual Reproduction

On the reef gonochoric octocoral colonies broadcast eggs or sperm; fertilised eggs become planula larvae that drift before settling on hard substrate and budding into colonies. This pathway is natural but not used in home propagation.

Common Challenges

Frags often close and develop a shiny waxy cuticle for a few days, then slough it and reopen their polyps. Sarcophyton defends itself with terpene compounds such as sarcophytoxide that act as an antifeedant and can suppress nearby corals, so cutting slime should be removed from the water.