Description
Bubble coral (primarily Plerogyra sinuosa) is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral recognized by its cluster of shiny, grape-sized water-filled vesicles (bubbles) that expand during the day and retract at night.
Key Physical Features
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Appearance: Features a hard, calcium carbonate skeleton covered by fleshy, translucent to green, white, gray, or yellowish bubbles during the day.
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Day vs. Night Cycle:
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Daytime: The bubble-like vesicles inflate to maximize surface area for light exposure.
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Nighttime: The bubbles deflate and retract, and long, venomous feeding/sweeper tentacles emerge to catch plankton.
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Size: Individual vesicles are roughly grape-sized (up to 2.5 cm), while total colonies can grow anywhere from 12 inches up to 2 meters (or more) across.
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Alternative Names: Also known as bladder coral, grape coral, or pearl coral.
Biology & Habitat
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Energy Source: Relies heavily on symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) inside its vesicles that provide nutrients via photosynthesis (covering 70% to 90% of its energy), supplemented by nighttime plankton capture.
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Habitat: Found in sheltered reef slopes, lagoons, overhangs, and turbid waters at depths ranging from 3 to 40 meters.
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Geographic Range: Widespread across the Indo-Pacific, stretching from the Red Sea and Madagascar to Japan, Australia, and the central Pacific.
Care & Safety Notes
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Sting: Possesses strong, stinging sweeper tentacles capable of harming neighboring corals or delivering a painful sting to touch.
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Fragility: The fleshy tissue and bubbles puncture very easily against the sharp underlying stony skeleton.
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Aquarium Requirements: Prefers low-to-moderate lighting and gentle, low water movement
