Coral database category
LPS coral profiles
Use these LPS profiles to compare polyp shape, skeleton structure, tentacle form, and spacing needs before narrowing an identification.
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- 9
- intermediate
- 32
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All lps corals
Every profile below is linked directly from this category page. Featured references appear first, followed by the complete alphabetical collection.
Alveopora
Alveopora spp.
Use this Alveopora profile to compare flower-like polyps with Goniopora and Duncan Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for reduced flower-like extension under moderate flow.
Open profile →Bubble Coral
Plerogyra sinuosa
Use this Bubble Coral profile to compare large bubble-like vesicles with Elegance Coral and Cynarina Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for bubble tissue tearing under moderate flow.
Open profile →Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
Identify Candy Cane Coral by round trumpet-shaped heads and branching skeleton; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Duncan Coral and Blastomussa.
Open profile →Chalice Coral
Echinophyllia spp. / Oxypora spp.
Identify Chalice Coral by thin encrusting or plating body and bright eyes or mouths; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Montipora Capricornis and Favia.
Open profile →Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
Identify Duncan Coral by large daisy-like polyps and branching tubular skeleton; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Goniopora and Alveopora.
Open profile →Frogspawn Coral
Fimbriaphyllia divisa / Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa
Frogspawn Coral care and ID profile for clustered tentacle tips, bubbly frog-egg texture, tissue tearing on septa or branch edges, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Goniopora
Goniopora spp.
Goniopora LPS guide for identifying long flower-like polyps, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing shortening polyp extension when kept near Alveopora and Duncan Coral.
Open profile →Hammer Coral
Fimbriaphyllia ancora / Fimbriaphyllia paraancora
Use this Hammer Coral profile to compare hammer or anchor shaped tentacle tips with Torch Coral and Frogspawn Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for deflated heads after flow or alkalinity change under moderate flow.
Open profile →Torch Coral
Euphyllia glabrescens
Torch Coral LPS guide for identifying long single tentacles, choosing middle placement with moderate flow, and managing sweeper contact or base recession when kept near Hammer Coral and Frogspawn Coral.
Open profile →Acan Coral
Micromussa lordhowensis
Acan Coral LPS guide focused on fleshy round polyps, lookalike separation from Blastomussa and Favia, and early checks for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Acan Echinata
Acanthastrea echinata
Use this Acan Echinata profile to compare fleshy encrusting LPS with Acan Coral and Chalice Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for aggressive encrusting edge sting under moderate flow.
Open profile →Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
Blastomussa LPS guide focused on fleshy round polyps, lookalike separation from Acan Coral and Candy Cane Coral, and early checks for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Blastomussa Merleti
Blastomussa merleti
Blastomussa Merleti LPS guide focused on small fleshy heads, lookalike separation from Blastomussa and Candy Cane Coral, and early checks for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Brain Coral
Trachyphyllia spp. / Lobophyllia spp. / Platygyra spp.
Brain Coral LPS guide focused on maze or folded brain-like ridges, lookalike separation from Favia and Favites, and early checks for maze valley recession before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Branching Cyphastrea
Cyphastrea decadia
Branching Cyphastrea reef coral guide focused on thin branching growth, lookalike separation from Meteor Shower Cyphastrea and Porites Coral, and early checks for placement stress or edge recession before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Branching Frogspawn Coral
Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa
Branching Frogspawn Coral care and ID profile for branching skeletal heads, clustered frogspawn tips, recession starting at a single branch head, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Branching Hammer Coral
Fimbriaphyllia paraancora
Branching Hammer Coral LPS guide for identifying separate branching heads, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing head recession on individual branches when kept near Hammer Coral and Frogspawn Coral.
Open profile →Cynarina Coral
Cynarina lacrymalis
Cynarina Coral care and ID profile for single translucent fleshy polyp, large central mouth, overinflation damage or exposed skeleton, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Elegance Coral
Catalaphyllia jardinei
Elegance Coral care and ID profile for large fleshy mantle, long tentacles with colored tips, mantle recession or sudden deflation, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Favia
Dipsastraea spp. / Favia spp.
Favia LPS guide for identifying brain-like corallites, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing corallite edge recession when kept near Favites and Brain Coral.
Open profile →Favites
Favites spp.
Use this Favites profile to compare shared corallite walls with Favia and Brain Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for shared-wall tissue recession under moderate flow.
Open profile →Galaxea Coral
Galaxea spp.
Identify Galaxea Coral by star-like polyps and very long sweeper tentacles; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Goniopora and Favia.
Open profile →Hollywood Stunner Chalice
Echinopora lamellosa
Hollywood Stunner Chalice care and ID profile for fast plating chalice, thin green plates, fast sweeper reach from thin plating edges, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Hydnophora Coral
Hydnophora spp.
Hydnophora Coral LPS guide focused on horn-like hydnophores, lookalike separation from Galaxea Coral and Pavona Coral, and early checks for aggressive ridge contact before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Leptastrea Coral
Leptastrea spp.
Leptastrea Coral LPS guide focused on small closely packed corallites, lookalike separation from Meteor Shower Cyphastrea and Favia, and early checks for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Leptoseris Coral
Leptoseris spp.
Leptoseris Coral LPS guide for identifying thin plating or encrusting sheets, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation when kept near Chalice Coral and Montipora Capricornis.
Open profile →Lobophyllia Coral
Lobophyllia spp.
Use this Lobophyllia Coral profile to compare thick fleshy lobes with Brain Coral and Trachyphyllia Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for lobe edge recession under moderate flow.
Open profile →Meat Coral
Acanthophyllia deshayesiana
Identify Meat Coral by large single fleshy polyp and thick inflated mantle; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Scolymia Coral and Cynarina Coral.
Open profile →Merulina Coral
Merulina spp.
Merulina Coral care and ID profile for ruffled ridges, plating or encrusting growth, ridge-edge recession, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Meteor Shower Cyphastrea
Cyphastrea spp.
Identify Meteor Shower Cyphastrea by encrusting base and raised contrasting polyps; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Leptastrea Coral and Encrusting Montipora.
Open profile →Micromussa Coral
Micromussa spp.
Micromussa Coral LPS guide for identifying small fleshy round polyps, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation when kept near Acan Coral and Blastomussa.
Open profile →Octospawn Coral
Fimbriaphyllia spp.
Use this Octospawn Coral profile to compare multi-tipped tentacles with Frogspawn Coral and Hammer Coral, plan conservative spacing, and watch for octopus-like tentacles staying shortened under moderate flow.
Open profile →Orange Fungia Plate
Cycloseris spp. / Fungia spp.
Identify Orange Fungia Plate by single orange disc and radial ribs; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Plate Coral and Scolymia Coral.
Open profile →Pagoda Cup Coral
Turbinaria peltata
Pagoda Cup Coral LPS guide for identifying cup or plate growth, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation when kept near Scroll Coral and Montipora Capricornis.
Open profile →Pearl Bubble Coral
Physogyra lichtensteini
Pearl Bubble Coral care and ID profile for smaller bead-like bubbles, branching or wall skeleton, pearl vesicle recession, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →Pectinia Coral
Pectinia spp.
Identify Pectinia Coral by sharp antler-like ridges and thin tissue over skeleton; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Merulina Coral and Chalice Coral.
Open profile →Plate Coral
Fungia spp. / Cycloseris spp.
Identify Plate Coral by single free-living disc and radial skeleton ridges; then set low placement, moderate flow, and enough separation from Scolymia Coral and Brain Coral.
Open profile →Platygyra Coral
Platygyra spp.
Platygyra Coral LPS guide focused on maze-like valleys, lookalike separation from Brain Coral and Favites, and early checks for maze groove recession before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Scolymia Coral
Homophyllia australis
Scolymia Coral LPS guide focused on single large fleshy polyp, lookalike separation from Trachyphyllia Coral and Cynarina Coral, and early checks for mantle deflation or exposed rim before changing light or flow.
Open profile →Scroll Coral
Turbinaria reniformis
Use this Scroll Coral profile to compare scrolling plates with Pagoda Cup Coral and Montipora Capricornis, plan conservative spacing, and watch for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation under moderate flow.
Open profile →Symphyllia Coral
Symphyllia spp.
Symphyllia Coral LPS guide for identifying broad fleshy valleys, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing shared-valley tissue irritation when kept near Lobophyllia Coral and Brain Coral.
Open profile →Trachyphyllia Coral
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
Trachyphyllia Coral LPS guide for identifying large fleshy open brain shape, choosing low placement with moderate flow, and managing sand abrasion or folded tissue recession when kept near Brain Coral and Scolymia Coral.
Open profile →War Coral
Favites pentagona
War Coral care and ID profile for contrasting red and green eyes, shared corallite walls, burn line at colony borders, and practical placement decisions for mixed reef compatibility.
Open profile →