SPS Coral Identification Guide: Structure First, Color Second

Overview

Small-polyp stony corals are usually identified by structure, corallite arrangement, and growth pattern progression.

Color can hint at strain or health, but structural morphology is more stable for initial classification.

A patient, staged approach improves confidence and helps avoid overconfident species labels.

Key traits to review

• Branching style: tabling, corymbose, staghorn-like, plating, or encrusting.
• Corallite size and distribution across branch surfaces.
• Axial vs radial growth expression where applicable.
• Colony silhouette over time, especially in stable flow conditions.

Common confusion points

• Fresh cuts and new frags may not represent mature colony architecture.
• Nutrient and light changes can alter coloration without changing identity.
• Close-up macro shots can remove context needed to distinguish groups.
• Trade names may imply a species certainty that the photo cannot support.

Beginner tips

• Start with genus-level grouping before attempting species-level labels.
• Photograph the same coral monthly to observe how structure develops.
• Use stable lighting and include a scale reference where possible.
• When uncertain, keep multiple candidate IDs and compare against growth changes.

When AI identification helps

• When sorting broad SPS categories from initial tank photos.
• When you need a shortlist to guide deeper reference checks.
• When maintaining logs for multiple similar frags in the same system.

Use AI outputs as a practical starting point. For final confidence, compare against morphology over time and experienced reef references.