Cat's Paw Coral (Stylophora pistillata) Care Guide
Stylophora pistillata is a hardy branching SPS coral with blunt-tipped branches, photosynthetic and beginner-friendly, native to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Stylophora pistillata, known as cat's paw, hood or smooth cauliflower coral, is a branching small-polyp stony (SPS) coral of the family Pocilloporidae. It has broad, blunt-ended branches that resemble cat paws, and colonies become thicker and more submassive as they grow, reaching about 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. Its conical, hooded polyp cups are sunk beneath the general surface. It is hardy and beginner-friendly, and is one of the corals most commonly used in scientific research.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pocilloporidae
- Genus: Stylophora
- Scientific name: Stylophora pistillata
- Growth form: branching
Habitat
Its range extends from Madagascar, East Africa, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, through the Indian Ocean to northern Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Japan and many island groups of the western and central Pacific. It is a reef-building species that favours exposed habitats with strong water movement, occurring down to about 15 m (50 ft).
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.025-1.026
- Alkalinity (dKH): 7.5-9
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Nitrate: below 10 ppm; Phosphate: below 0.05 ppm
- Lighting: ~150-300 PAR (medium-high)
- Flow: medium-high
- Established tank (minimum age ~3 months)
Placement & lighting
As a less-demanding SPS, it tolerates medium to high light and benefits from medium-high flow, mirroring the strong water movement of its natural exposed habitat. Acclimate gradually to brighter lighting to avoid bleaching, to which the species is prone.
Feeding
Stylophora pistillata is photosynthetic, hosting symbiotic zooxanthellae for most of its energy, so dedicated target-feeding is not essential. Under stress it can expel its zooxanthellae and bleach, so stable lighting and water chemistry are important.
Compatibility
It is a passive, reef-safe coral, safe with fish and shrimp, and is a good way to achieve an SPS aesthetic with less demanding husbandry than Acropora.
Conservation status
The IUCN assesses Stylophora pistillata as Near Threatened; it is traded in the aquarium hobby, with about 10,000 pieces exported in 2005.
Propagating Stylophora pistillata (Cat's Paw Coral)
Overview
Stylophora pistillata, the cat's paw or club finger coral, is a branching coral of the family Pocilloporidae with broad, blunt-ended branches that thicken and become more submassive with age. Colonies reach about 30 cm across, show cream, pink, bluish or green coloration, and host symbiotic zooxanthellae. The genus ranges from the Red Sea throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Reproductive Mode
Stylophora pistillata is one of the most-studied reef corals and serves as a major scientific model species. In the aquarium it is propagated asexually by cutting branches, while in nature it also reproduces sexually.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Branching Stylophora is easy to frag. Cut a blunt branch tip with coral cutters and glue it to a plug; the thick branches handle cutting well. Coral cutters are inexpensive and can be used inside the tank.
- Cut a branch tip a few centimetres long with coral cutters.
- Apply cyanoacrylate glue to a frag plug.
- Seat the branch base, hold about 30 seconds, then return it to the tank.
- Restore good flow and light within a few hours.
Conditions for Propagation
In nature the species inhabits exposed habitats with strong water movement at depths to about 15 m. The Aquairi record targets medium-high light (about 150-300 PAR), medium-high flow and 24-26 C.
Sexual Reproduction
Because it is widely used as a model organism, the species' development has been mapped in detail, including single-cell atlases of adult, primary-polyp and larval stages, and its genome has been used to study the genes that drive coral calcification. This research base makes S. pistillata a reference point for understanding coral reproduction and skeleton building.
Common Challenges
The IUCN lists Stylophora pistillata as Near Threatened, reflecting its vulnerability to coral bleaching and habitat loss. In the aquarium it is sensitive to unstable parameters, so keep alkalinity and temperature steady during and after fragging.