Goniastrea aspera

Verrill, 1905

Honeycomb Coral, Pineapple Coral, Bright Eyes Coral

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea, Madagascar, Seychelles, Maldives, Japan, East China Sea, and south to Australia.

Natural Environment: Inhabits intertidal zones, shallow protected reef slopes and usually seen at depths between 3 to 50 feet (1 - 15 m).

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade.

As to placement in the aquarium, high areas receiving bright light and swift water movement is best, as this species is often collected in very shallow areas.

Capable of producing its nutritional needs via photosynthesis, yet benefits from once or twice a week feedings of various plankton-like foods, such as Oyster eggs, cyclops, baby brine shrimp, Spirulina, enriched adult brine and mysis shrimp.

Even though its feeding tentacles are usually only displayed at night, it will sometimes display them during daylight hours if it senses food entering the aquarium. I have often used a freeze-dried krill squished between my fingertips in the aquarium water to bring forth the feeding tentacles of various nighttime feeders.

Care should also be taken as to its position in the aquarium in relation to other corals, as this species can send out long sweeper tentacles during evening hours.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Subclass: Hexacorallia

Order: Scleractinia

Family: Faviidae

Genus: Goniastrea

FYI: In the wild, form massive encrusting colonies, and usually pale brown with contrasting oral discs.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Diet: Photosynthetic/Plankton feeder

Temperament: Aggressive

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Coral Safe: With caution

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Hardiness: Moderate

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: 74 - 83°F (23 - 28°C)

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons

Lighting: PAR 450+

Water Movement: WM 3

Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025

pH: 8.0 - 8.4

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