Use the visual coral identification chart, growth-form clues, and detailed care profiles to compare soft corals, LPS, SPS, lighting, flow, and placement.
Identify an aquarium coral by checking whether it has a hard skeleton, the relative size and shape of its polyps, and whether the colony branches, plates, encrusts, forms a mat, or grows as fleshy discs. Soft coral, LPS, and SPS are useful aquarium-care groups; LPS and SPS are hobby terms rather than formal taxonomic ranks.
Branching SPS with distinct axial tips
Hard skeleton with large fleshy polyps
Hard skeleton with many small polyps
Button-shaped polyps joined by a mat
Flexible tissue; no stony skeleton
Encrusting or plating LPS with visible eyes
ACI Manila Spy Montipora Coral shows
Blue Snake Eye Goniopora Coral shows
Gold Torch Coral features long,
Barbie Party Blastomussa Coral shows
ACI Sunrise Cyphastrea Coral
Corals come in an incredible variety of shapes, colours and growth forms, making them one of the most fascinating additions to a marine aquarium. From flowing soft corals and colourful LPS varieties to the intricate structures of SPS corals, each type has its own characteristics and care requirements.
Our coral glossary is designed to help you discover and identify different coral species, understand their individual requirements and compare important factors such as lighting, water flow, feeding, placement and compatibility.
Marine aquarium corals are generally divided into three main groups, each with different characteristics and care requirements.
Choosing the right location for a coral is important for its long-term health and growth. Different species have different preferences for lighting, water movement and available space.
Before introducing a new coral, consider its lighting requirements, preferred water flow, feeding habits and expected growth. Some corals need additional space because of their aggressive behaviour, while others can spread quickly and compete with neighbouring colonies.
Care requirements can also vary considerably between species within the same coral group, so always check the individual profile before deciding where to place a coral.
Corals are available in an enormous range of colours, patterns and growth forms. Some grow into branching structures, others form plates or encrust rockwork, while many develop distinctive fleshy polyps.
When identifying a coral, look beyond its colour and consider its overall structure, polyp shape, growth pattern and scientific classification. Trade names can also help distinguish particular colour varieties, but the species or genus is often a more reliable starting point when researching care requirements.
Explore the Tee’s Reef coral glossary below to discover different coral varieties and learn more about their appearance, care requirements and suitability for your reef aquarium.
Not all corals get along. Some species can extend sweeper tentacles, release chemicals or grow aggressively into neighbouring colonies. Careful placement and sufficient space can help prevent damage and competition.
Maintaining stable aquarium conditions is equally important. Temperature, salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and nutrient levels all contribute to a healthy reef environment.
When adding new corals, allow them time to adjust to their new surroundings. Changes in lighting and water flow should be introduced carefully, particularly when moving corals between different aquarium systems.
This coral glossary is a practical reference for comparing reef aquarium corals before you buy, place, or troubleshoot them. Each profile brings together the details that matter at the aquarium: common and scientific names, general care level, lighting, water flow, placement, feeding, and temperament. Use the search field when you already know a name, or browse the profile index when you are identifying a coral from its growth form, polyp shape, or trade name.
Identification is the first step, not the final care decision. Corals sold under similar common names can have different growth patterns and tolerances, while color alone can change under different lighting and nutrient conditions. Compare several visible traits, then open the individual profile for the complete care summary. If you are beginning with the broad groups, our guide to soft coral, LPS, and SPS coral types explains how those categories differ.
Soft corals do not build the same rigid stony skeleton associated with LPS and SPS corals. Many are adaptable and bring movement to a reef, but fast-growing varieties still need deliberate placement so they do not overtake neighboring rockwork. Review each profile for its preferred light and flow rather than assuming every soft coral has identical needs.
LPS corals combine a calcium-carbonate skeleton with large, fleshy polyps. Their tissue can be damaged by excessive direct flow, and many species need room for sweeper tentacles or other competitive behavior. The glossary helps compare familiar groups such as Euphyllia, brain corals, Acans, Favia, Goniopora, and chalice corals without treating them as one care category.
SPS corals generally reward stable chemistry, appropriate light, and strong variable flow. Acropora, Montipora, Birdsnest, and related groups can differ substantially in placement and tolerance. Use the profiles to narrow the identification, then make changes gradually and watch the coral's response instead of chasing a single universal number.
Start with the coral's current condition and the stable environment your aquarium can provide. Lighting recommendations are useful ranges, but acclimation matters whenever a coral moves between systems. Flow should keep the colony clean and deliver nutrients without pinning tissue against the skeleton. Placement also needs to account for growth, shading, and aggression from nearby colonies.
Care labels such as beginner, moderate, or advanced are a quick comparison tool. They do not replace testing or observation. Keep temperature and salinity consistent, follow alkalinity and nutrient trends, and leave enough time between adjustments to understand the result. If a coral retracts, pales, or develops tissue damage, review recent changes in light, flow, chemistry, pests, and neighboring corals before making another change.
A successful mixed reef is planned around zones. Lower-light or gentler-flow areas can suit one group, while exposed upper rockwork may support species that prefer more energy. Leave growth space around encrusting and plating corals, isolate aggressive or rapidly spreading colonies when appropriate, and remember that a small frag can become a large colony.
Use photographs as an identification clue, but compare structure as well as color. Look at whether the colony branches, plates, encrusts, or forms separate fleshy heads; note the shape of the corallites and whether feeding or sweeper tentacles appear after dark. Trade names are useful labels for individual color forms, while the scientific grouping provides a more dependable starting point for care research.
Use the glossary to identify a coral, then continue with the focused care guide for its broader group.
Browse all profiles below to compare candidates, then use the individual guide as a starting point for acclimation and placement. For shopping rather than identification, visit our live coral collection . Keeping the informational glossary and the collection separate lets you research care first and choose livestock only after it fits the aquarium.
