Button Coral (Cynarina)

Distribution: Australia, Indonesia
Coloration: May be solid or banded in many different colors and combinations of colors
Care level: Medium
Lighting requirements: Moderate
Flow: Low to moderate

SG: 1.023-1.026.
Calcium: 400-500.
Alk: 8-12.
Magnesium: 1350-1500.
Temperature: 76-82
Growth: Very slow

Cynarina is a solitary, sand dwelling, large polyp stony coral. It forms a radial skeleton with sharp septal ridges protruding from the top surface like spokes. Surrounding a large central mouth and oral disc, fleshy colorful bubbles will extend past the skeleton during daylight hours in order to maximize photosynthetic area.

I've kept many cynarinas over the years, and have found that their care requirements are typical of most fleshy sand dwelling LPS in that their main requirement is stability. You can easily keep them at all ends of common reef chemistry spectra as long as it is kept stable. Alkalinity is especially important to keep stable when keeping cynarina.

They are relatively adaptive when it comes to both flow and light although it is always much safer to start them on the lower end of both.

 

Awesome. This coral can get pretty expensive, its that correct Mike?

 

There are some that get pretty expensive, but you can still find a really good looking cynarina for under $100 most times in my experience.

 

Neat coral. Thanks for the write up. I may have to see if I can find one for a decent price.

 

Thanks for the write up mike. I had a nice pink one for a year and while moving things around the thank a rock fell on it and the soft flesh was torn and never recovered. It would inflate to double it's size during the day.