Cardinalfishes
HAMMER
TIME
J u n e 2 017While there are several species of stony coral in the genus Euphyllia, two of the most commonly offered are known as the
hammer corals, E. ancora and E. parancora. These two species are quite popular, as they are unusual looking, having especial-
ly long and unique tentacles, and they can potentially reach very large sizes, too. Both can also thrive under a wide range of
reef aquarium lighting and can be great choices for many hobbyists. However, like all of their close cousins, they can actually
get too big at times, can severely sting many neighbouring corals, and sometimes have health issues. Let’s take a good look
at these two corals, and you can decide if a hammer coral is a good choice for your reef aquarium.
Images and text by James Fatherree (unless credited otherwise)77