Elegance or toothed coral
Elegance Coral Catalaphyllia jardinei has been one of the most popular large polyp stony (LPS) corals for decades. This is because it is extremely attractive. It comes in several different colors, and usually has bright pink to purple tips that glow under blue or ultraviolet light. It resembles anemones but with the inability to move around, which is a benefit for aquarists. Some colors like lime green are thought to help in UV protection.
The C. jardinei is a widespread coral found in many diverse habitats. all over the Indian ocean to the West Pacific. In the wild, the Elegance Coral lives in both shallow and deeper waters, down to 131 feet (40 m), and in areas of gentle turbid water. They can be found attached on hard patch reef substrates, where they tend to grow larger, or free-living on soft substrates. Their cone shaped, wedge-like skeletal structure allows them to bury into the softer substrates. In the ocean they are usually collected from soft sand or silt substrates, sometimes for areas where sea grasses frequently intertwine with their tentacles. It benefits from feeds of large food pieces such as shrimp and fish.
