Stereonephthya cundabiluensis Propagation Guide

How to propagate the tree-like soft coral Stereonephthya cundabiluensis through fragging, with notes on its feeding-dependent biology in the family Nephtheidae.

Overview

Stereonephthya cundabiluensis is a tree-like soft coral in the family Nephtheidae, the group also known as carnation corals, tree corals or colt soft corals. Members of this family are arborescent, carrying small knobs at the ends of rubbery branches, and span rich and pastel colours including reds, pinks, yellows and purples. In this genus the polyps tend to retract during the day and emerge at night to extend their tentacles and feed.

Reproductive Mode

Like other Nephtheidae soft corals, this species can be increased asexually by fragmentation, taking advantage of the colony's branching, rubbery structure to produce daughter pieces that regrow into new colonies.

Fragging / Asexual Propagation

Propagation relies on cutting a healthy branch from the arborescent body and securing the cutting to a clean plug or piece of rock until the base attaches. Because the tissue is rubbery and the branches carry small terminal knobs, individual limbs lend themselves to clean separation from the parent colony.

Conditions for Propagation

Stereonephthya is closely related to Dendronephthya, a genus that is notoriously difficult to keep because it requires a near-constant supply of small foods such as phytoplankton. Successful propagation of tree corals in this family therefore depends on steady particulate feeding alongside the water parameters logged for this species in the knowledge base.

Common Challenges

The chief difficulty is nutrition: members closely allied to this coral lean toward planktivorous feeding rather than relying on light alone, so frags can starve without regular small foods. Polyps in this family also retract by day, which can make a healthy frag appear closed until night-time feeding.