Acrozoanthus australiae

Saville-Kent, 1893

Stick Polyps, Polyp Trees, Encrusting Tree Polyps

Range: West Indian Ocean

Natural Environment: Inhabits rocky and muddy bottom areas in coastal bays.

General Husbandry: Occasionally shows up in the trade.

Usually an assortment of somewhat long tentacle polyps, usually brown (almost anemone-like) along a worm tube or 'stick' of some kind. If a parchment tube, it is often the home of the worm Eunice tubifex, which leaves the tube during nighttime hours to feed, yet lives in the tube during daytime hours.

These polyps are zooplankton feeders and require similar meaty type foods fed several times weekly.

Difficult to maintain and if not happy with its environment, polyps will detach and float around the aquarium and will sting what it comes in contact with.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Subclass: Hexacorallia

Order: Zoantharia

Suborder: Brachycnemina

Family: Zoanthidae

Genus: Acrozoanthus

FYI: For far more general information about these corals, see my article titled 'Zoanthids - A Wide Range to Choose From' in the 'Article" section of this website.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Diet: Photosynthetic/Zooplankton feeder

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Coral Safe:With caution

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately difficult

Calcium (Ca): 380 - 430 mg/l

Alkalinity: 2.5 - 3.0 meq/l

Phosphate (PO4): <0.05 mg/l

Magnesium (Mg): approx. 1350 mg/l (relate to specific gravity)

Strontium (Sr) 8 - 10 mg/l

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 - 27°C)

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Lighting: PAR 450+

Water Movement: WM 2

Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025

pH: 8.0 - 8.4

Iodine/Trace Elements Monitor/as necessary to maintain quality seawater.