Sarcophyton latum Dana (1846)

At the beginning of his era as koralrevsakvarist orient you quickly notice the mushroom-like leather corals of the genus Sarcophyton how to make extra money. Thankfully, it follows that these exciting coral is often found on the market and not only that – they are also among the more grateful and letholdne corals, and they give the beginner a good opportunity to have something with an interesting appearance in his reef aquarium .
Sarcophyton latum
Since Sarcophyton-species can be extremely difficult to determine the species, it is not certain that this photo is about S. latum – but it looks like it even extremely well.

To determine a Sarcophyton species is not something for a rating aquarist. Often they can just distinguish the “splinters of bone” as stiffener of coral. Not only that, these fragments can also take various forms, depending on where they are located in lÊderkorallen, so not even a desiccated coral and a magnifying glass can be helped along.

One can simply rejoice in their different looks and colors. Colors are now so much said when Sarcophyton-species frequently slightly yellow, yellow-beige, light brown on the body, and sometimes with a slight greenish color on the polyps.

Sarcophyton latum Alcyonidae belongs to the family, which also includes the genera, Alcyonium, Cladiella, Capnella, Lobophyton, Sinularia and Sphaerella. It has a short powerful “foot” and the somewhat thick and wavy disc is studded with polyps. The color is usually yellow to yellow-beige, and the polyps can take a green shiny color.

Sarcophyton latum occurs in shallow water, and is widespread throughout the Indian Ocean. The fact that it exists in shallow water tells us that this leather coral contains zoozanteller, making it able to not only survive but also to grow with light as the sole source of nutrition. If you offer it on newly hatched brine shrimp, or another form of fine food, take it as also like to deal with these.

Insertion of Sarcophyton latum in the aquarium should not cause major problems, as it is quickly becoming attached to the substrate as it may come into contact with. But have you (and it has) HQI lighting over the aquarium, it might be a good idea that in the first 2-3 days, put some light shade of coral, for example. in the form of green plastic cloth which you can buy for filter use.

Sarcophyton latum is a growing willingness leather coral in the aquarium, but which does not mean that it can just “go for the lye and cold water.” It has some requirements that can not come around, and the first is a proper lighting (HQI) to zoozantellerne. Its growing willingness to do that requires lots of space to spread out and one should bear in mind that Sarcophyton latum is – as part of its genus and wife – quite sensitive to nÊldegifte from other coral species.

This can be easily identified, because there is whitish spots where coral has been “burnt”. It can stand but can easily touch from his own species, and the idea of ??a group “plantation” is attractive (if your wallet permits otherwise).

Strong water movement is – if not alpha, but so omega – when the shit (excuse – I know it sounds vulgar) quite substantially in the form of a slimy layer which settles over koralpolypperne.

This substance must be removed and this can only happen in the strongest and changing water movement. But it is often not enough, and you may then from time to time resort to water movement generated by a powerful gesture just above the coral.

Not only that it is easy to care for an aquarium, it is also easy to propagate. You cut just a little piece of it and put it somewhere where it stays, and soon this piece of wax onto the surface and begin to grow.

Now you can not just like cutting a leather coral into suitable pieces as it goes beyond its interesting shape and is quite a long time to be nice and “curly mushroom” again.

Overall Sarcophyton latum is good and right hardy “begins” coral, which you should not have problems in daily care. Often one can see that this leather coral houses a lot of very small parasitic tubular polyps, but there is no reason to panic (if one p.gr.a. visual disturbance, can not bear to see them) as they no damage coral.