Orange Symphyllia

Overview:

The Orange Symphyllia (commonly known as the Symphyllia Brain or Closed Brain) is the rugged, bold cousin of the Welsophyllia. While they look similar, the Symphyllia is characterized by its much denser, heavier skeleton and thicker “walls” between its colorful valleys. An orange specimen is a true showstopper—ranging from a soft peach to a searing, “neon safety vest” orange. Because orange is a relatively rare solid color in the brain coral world, these are often the “crown jewels” of a sandbed collection.

Coloration: Vibrant solid orange, often with contrasting “mint green” or “icy blue” in the deep valleys of the brain folds.

Size: Usually 3–6 inches; they grow into massive, heavy domes that can eventually reach the size of a dinner plate.

Lighting: Low to Moderate (75–150 PAR). Like most fleshy LPS, they prefer a softer light to maintain that deep orange pigment; if the light is too intense, the orange will “wash out” and turn yellow or white.

Water flow: Low to Moderate (enough to prevent detritus from settling in its deep grooves, but not so much that the flesh is visibly flattened against the skeleton).

Feeding: Highly Recommended; they have very large, hungry mouths. They will happily accept mysis shrimp, chopped krill, or high-quality LPS pellets. Regular feeding leads to much “puffier” tissue.

Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive (they don’t have long sweepers, but they will sting anything they directly touch. Their thick tissue can also “shadow” and overwhelm smaller neighbors).

Care Level: Easy to Moderate (they are slightly more “bulletproof” than Trachyphyllia due to their sturdier skeletal structure).