About Banana Coral
Free-living "open brain" coral that sits directly on the sandbed. One of the most colorful corals you can keep, and it actively expands its fleshy tissue during the day. Target-feed a small piece of mysis a few times a week.
The open brain coral is a brightly colored free-living coral species in the family Merulinidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Trachyphyllia and can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Free-living LPS coral that sits unattached on the sandbed. Vivid color morphs include green, red, rainbow, and bicolor varieties. The flesh expands dramatically during the day, sometimes doubling in size from the resting state.
In your tank. Peaceful with no sweepers. The free-living nature means it can be moved if needed — no rock attachment to deal with. Slow grower. Best in deeper sandbeds where it can settle naturally.
Placement and care. Sandbed only — never on rock. Moderate light, gentle flow. Target feeding small meaty pieces directly to the central mouth 1–2 times per week noticeably improves color and size.
Sourcing and feeding. Mostly wild-collected; aquacultured specimens are rare. Color morphs are not always stable under different lighting, so ask the supplier about the photo period the specimen was grown under.
Care info is a starting point, not a guarantee. Individual specimens, water chemistry, and tankmate dynamics vary. Verify against multiple sources and adjust to what you observe. See our terms & disclaimers.
Related corals
Sources & attribution
- Taxonomy and accepted name from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS AphiaID 207495).
- Description content adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo: (c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).