Rare and Unique Corals at Absolutely Fish

By Emma Rice

In these past couple of months that I’ve spent working with Absolutely Fish, my understanding and appreciation for the aquarium hobby has evolved. Instead of just thinking of my job as selling corals to look nice in a tank, I realized that we must be archivists and curators, maintaining a living record of life on Earth as we know it. It is important to show people the staggering beauty that dwells beneath the waves, making it accessible to the average person. By keeping corals we can spark hope and change and strive to keep alive the spirit that drives people to explore and protect our natural world. 

Pulsing and undulating, creeping and oozing, billowing and writhing: Colonial superorganisms in perfect synchronicity. Fascinating symbiotic invertebrate creatures that work in harmony to branch and bloom across our oceans and in our fish tanks. I can’t think of a more intriguing animal on this earth than coral! 

Today I will be listing and describing 5 of Absolutely Fish’s rare and interesting corals that we propagate and sell. I spent a few weeks looking around, researching, and asking for advice from my managers Eric R. and Patrick E. trying to find the most rare, unique, exotic and interesting corals in our store and aquaculture facility.

Holy Grail Torch

 Easily the most eye-catching torch in our collection, the Holy Grail is iconic for its bright yellow-green hued tentacles. My personal favorites would be the pink or purple tipped Holy Grails, but some prefer the blue tips. In my opinion, the contrast between the pink/purple and green is the most visually striking. I can’t resist including my two cents on color theory! Torches in general (Euphyllia glabrescens) do best with bright but indirect light and a constant but gentle flow of water in the tank. They are an LPS and do well with occasional feedings.

Jellybean Chalice

 The first thing that came to my mind when I saw our Jellybean Chalices was a big-top circus tent. They also reminded me of the big parachutes that I would play with in gym class as a child. In all, this coral makes me think about fun! From its vibrant color palette to its lumpy topography, this coral is whimsical and playful. I don’t think I’ve seen another coral in the store with as many colors at once as this one! This particular chalice is an LPS known as an Echinopora. These are hardy corals that like moderate lighting and low to moderate flow. They are semi-aggressive and have sweeper tentacles, so give them some space from your other corals.

Jawbreaker Mushrooms 

Easily the most beginner friendly coral on this list, the Jawbreaker was at one point the world’s most expensive! In 2017 a purple variant of this mushroom sold for $10,000 (for a single polyp). Here at Absolutely Fish, we sell orange and red streaked Jawbreakers for a much more affordable price. Discosoma mushrooms are a great starter coral if you are looking into starting a reef tank, they are hardy and can grow fast. They do best in low to moderate flow and prefer lower to moderate light. We sell all sorts of variations of mushrooms, but none more vibrant than our bright orange Jawbreakers. Do you think these corals are worth all of the hype that they receive on the internet?

Glitter Goniopora 

These ethereal and spectral corals make me think of a fairy garden. It looks like Tinkerbell just flew over these LPS corals and sprinkled them with pixie dust. These Gonis are special due to their bright fluorescent speckles. Glitter Gonioporas are a beautiful addition to any tank to add not just that pop of bright color, but a unique patterning and texture to your aquascape as well. If you’re looking for a touch of whimsy in your reef aquarium, this coral might be for you! Gonioporas require a very well established tank to thrive and stable water parameters. They do best in moderate light and low to moderate flow in a higher nutrient system.

Kung Pao Montipora 

I couldn’t finish this list without including an SPS coral! One of the most eye-catching small-polyped stony corals in our store and aquaculture facility (in my opinion) would have to be the Kung Pao Monti. This Montipora (Montipora palawanensis) has unique rounded ridges running across it. Kung Pao Montis are named after the iconic orange chicken dish that their lumpy surfaces are reminiscent of. Though if you look past the orange, you will see that these corals actually contain many different colors within them, creating an almost holographic effect! If you’re looking to get into SPS corals, Montiporas are a great starter. They need high flow and moderate to high light and clean water with little to no nitrate and phosphate.