About Umbrella Xenia
Pulsing soft coral that opens and closes its polyps rhythmically — beginner-easy and visually mesmerizing. Like all Xeniids, it spreads invasively; isolate on its own rock or expect it to take over the reef.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Soft coral with white-to-cream polyps that pulse rhythmically — opening and closing many times per minute. Each polyp has eight tentacles. Compared to Heteroxenia, the polyps are smaller and the pulsing more rapid.
In your tank. The pulsing display is the main attraction. Spreads aggressively — colonies can carpet rockwork within months. Isolate on a frag plug or peripheral rock; assume it will overrun any surface it touches.
Placement and care. Moderate-to-high flow, moderate light. Tolerant of nutrient-rich water and often grows fastest in less mature systems. Pulsing intensity varies between specimens — buy from a tank where you can observe active pulsing first.
Sourcing and feeding. Captive-propagated frags widely available and inexpensive. Photosynthetic, no target feeding needed. Notorious for either thriving or melting away — there's rarely a middle ground.
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 210023).
- Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).