Related FAQs: Pocilloporids, Pocilloporids 2, & FAQs on: Pocilloporid Identification, Pocilloporid Behavior, Pocilloporid Compatibility, Pocilloporid Selection, Pocilloporid Systems, Pocilloporid Feeding, Pocilloporid Health, Pocilloporid Reproduction/Propagation, & SPS Corals, Stony/True Coral, Coral System Set-Up, Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral Identification, Stony Coral Selection, Coral Placement,  Foods/Feeding/Nutrition, Disease/Health, Propagation, Growing Reef Corals,  Stony Coral Behavior, SPS Identification, SPS Behavior, SPS Compatibility, SPS Selection, SPS Systems, SPS Feeding, SPS Disease, SPS Reproduction, Related Articles: True or Stony Corals, Order Scleractinia, Family Astrocoeniidae,  /The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium:  Family Pocilloporidae, Part 5   To: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4,

Bob Fenner

Genus Stylophora: Schweigger 1819, Finger, Cluster, Brush, Club Coral. Thick branches with wide, rounded tops; conspicuous corallites all over, with septa and columella. This genus' skeleton (coenosteum) has peculiar small spines (spinules) and hooding on the distal (far end) of the corallites that give the whole a fuzzy appearance. Occur as brownish with pale ends, or pink to purplish with white tips.

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Stylophora danae Milne Edwards & Haime 1850. Low lying flattened branches that irregularly cross-fuse. Here in its range in the Red Sea. http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species _factsheet_summary/stylophora-danae/

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Stylophora pistillata Exper 1797. Low growing, thick round branches with blunted rounded ends that enlarge, are submassive. Corallites immersed, hooded or spiny. Colored light brown to cream to pink, green... Indo-Mid Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa to S. Japan, Tuamotus. Here a close up of a colony in the Red Sea showing the "little hoods" over each polyp, and a colony in N. Sulawesi. http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species _factsheet_summary/stylophora-pistillata/

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Stylophora subseriata (Ehrenberg 1834).  Thin (down to 5 mm.) blunt branches, often anastomizing. Cone-shaped columella; spiny coenosteum. Tentacles evident during the day usually. Here in its range in the Red Sea 2019. http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species _factsheet_summary/stylophora-subseriata/

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Stylophora wellsi Scheer 1964. Clumps of short, knobby branches. http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/species_factsheets/species _factsheet_images/stylophora-wellsi/

Conclusion: 

Due to their abundance in nature, diversity of shape, color, flexibility in adapting to aquarium conditions, ease of propagation by fragmentation, the Pocilloporids for the most part make great reef aquarium livestock. Give them strong lighting, water movement, clean water of sufficient biomineral and alkaline content, the occasional feeding of planktonic foods and you will be richly rewarded. 

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Coral Search

Borneman, Eric H. 2001. Aquarium Corals; Selection, Husbandry and Natural History. Microcosm-TFH NJ, USA. 464 pp.

Fossa, Svein A. & Alf Jacob Nilsen. 1998 (1st ed.). The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, v.2 (Cnidarians). Bergit Schmettkamp Verlag, Borhheim, Germany. 479pp.

Hoover, John. 1998. Hawai'i's Sea Creatures. A Guide to Hawai'i's Marine Invertebrates. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu HI. 366pp. 

Humann, Paul. 1993. Reef Coral Identification; Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications, Inc. Jacksonville, FL.  239pp.

Tyree, Steve. 1994. Sexual reproduction and recruitment of the stony coral Pocillopora verrucosa (Ellis and Solander 1786) with discussion of spawning induction techniques. Aquarium Frontiers v1:1 Spr. 94.

Veron, J.E.N. 1986. Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. U. of HI press, Honolulu. 644 pp. 

Veron, J.E.N. 2000. Corals of the World. Australian Institute of Marine Science. Queensland, Australia. three volumes. 

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