Aug 21, 2026General11 min read
Coral Skeleton Clues
How corallites, walls, branches, septa, and growth forms help identify stony corals from photos.
Coral Guides
Coral identification articles
Browse the newest coral ID guides or narrow the list by reef category.
Aug 18, 2026General11 min read
Coral Polyp Anatomy and Shape Guide
Learn coral polyp anatomy, then compare tentacles, mouths, spacing, and extension to identify reef aquarium corals.
Aug 14, 2026General10 min read
Encrusting Coral Identification Guide
How to identify corals that grow over rock using growth edge, polyp spacing, texture, and skeleton clues.
Aug 11, 2026General10 min read
Plating Coral Identification Guide
How to identify plating corals by growth edge, corallites, eyes, tissue texture, and likely Montipora or chalice lookalikes.
Aug 7, 2026SPS12 min read
SPS Coral Lookalikes
Common mistakes in Acropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Stylophora, Seriatopora, and encrusting SPS identification.
Aug 4, 2026LPS11 min read
Beginner LPS Coral Types
Easy large polyp stony corals to recognize, compare, place, and care for in beginner reef aquariums.
Jul 31, 2026General12 min read
Soft Coral Types and Identification Guide
Compare common soft coral types, including leathers, cloves, Xenia, and GSP, plus mushroom and zoanthid lookalikes.
Jul 28, 2026General10 min read
Why Reef Store Coral Labels Are Often Wrong or Incomplete
Why coral shop labels can be inconsistent and how to verify names before making care or buying decisions.
Jul 24, 2026General11 min read
Can AI Identify Coral Accurately?
What AI coral identification can and cannot do, how to interpret confidence, and when a human verification step matters.