Coral species · Elegance Coral

Catalaphyllia jardinei

Long, flowing tentacles with vivid tips: the elegance coral is a true showpiece of Australian LPS.

Overview

Catalaphyllia jardinei, the elegance coral, is among the most recognisable large polyp corals in the hobby. A single colony can expand to several times the size of its skeleton, producing a mass of long, flowing tentacles with brightly coloured tips around an often vivid oral disc.

Australian elegance corals are highly regarded for their colour and condition.

Appearance and colour

Tentacles are commonly green, grey or brown with pink, purple or white tips, while the oral disc can show bright greens and stripes. The skeleton is a cone-shaped, flabello-meandroid structure that naturally sits in soft substrate.

Care in the aquarium

In the wild this species lives in soft sediment, so it does best placed on the sand bed or a low, stable rock in gentle flow. Moderate lighting is ideal. It feeds readily on meaty foods, which supports good extension and condition. Its long tentacles can sting nearby corals, so allow generous space on all sides.

At a glance

Elegance Coral

Type LPS (large polyp stony)
Also known as Elegance coral
Lighting Moderate
Water flow Low to moderate
Placement Sand bed or low on the reef
Feeding Meaty foods; feeds readily
Care level Moderate
Temperament Aggressive; give plenty of room

Every coral is unique. Photos are representative of the species; each colony varies in shape, size and colour.

Responsibly sourced

How we source Catalaphyllia jardinei

Our corals are collected on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, from the northern areas of the Reef down to Bundaberg, our home. Our diving collection vessels are equipped for long-distance travel, so we can find the best corals and keep them in pristine condition on the way to our holding facility.

Jeremy leads our harvesting team, which is extensively trained in safe, sustainable collecting techniques. We work to a strictly limited quota across broad reef areas within specific zones, taking small numbers of corals of limited size and premium quality and leaving the majority of the coral intact.

At our Bundaberg holding facility, Travis and the team fine-tune feeding, lighting and husbandry so every coral is in top condition before it is carefully packed and shipped. Our growing aquaculture program supports our vision of offering a 100% aquacultured source of premium corals.

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Limited, selective harvest

A strictly limited quota, taken from broad reef areas in specific zones. Small numbers, limited sizes and premium quality.

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Stewardship and certification

We participate in Provision Reef, an industry stewardship program, and maintain CITES certification for responsible sourcing.

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Towards 100% aquacultured

Our growing aquaculture program in Bundaberg supports our vision of a fully aquacultured source of premium corals.

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