How much light and flow does Devil’s hand leather coral need?

Soft coral, medium light at roughly 100–160 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Devil’s hand leather coral attack neighbouring corals?

It releases chemicals that suppress its neighbours, worst in a small tank with weak flow and stale carbon. Increase flow, change carbon often, and place it downstream.

Does Devil’s hand leather coral need feeding?

No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.

What water parameters does Devil’s hand leather coral need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.023–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Devil’s hand leather coral a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: beginner. Growth: fast. Place it in the midground / background. Spacing: 12-15 cm, and measure it against the grown colony, not the frag you just bought.

G-03 / 16Marine

Devil’s hand leather coral魔鬼手指

Lobophytum pauciflorum · Alcyoniidae

Devil’s hand: a flat leathery disc with finger-like projections, halfway between a toadstool and a finger leather, and another chemical warfare species.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 16 · Devil’s hand leather coral Lobophytum pauciflorum

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 魔鬼手指
Scientific name: Lobophytum pauciflorum
Family: Alcyoniidae
Origin: Reefs of the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef
Type: Soft coral
Light: Medium light
PAR: 100–160
Flow: Medium flow
Aggression: Chemical toxins
Feeding: No feeding needed
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.023–1.026 SG
Growth: Fast
Placement: Midground / Background
Level: Beginner

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.023–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: 12-15 cm, and measure it against the grown colony, not the frag you just bought.
2Flow: medium; with too little flow mucus collects on the surface and algae moves in.
3Feeding: none needed.
4Water tolerance: very high, but a sudden shock such as replacing most of the water closes the whole colony for days.
5Growth form: spreads as a flat fleshy disc, with the finger-like projections lengthening along the direction of flow.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Devil’s hand leather coral need?: Soft coral, medium light at roughly 100–160 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with medium flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Devil’s hand leather coral attack neighbouring corals?: It releases chemicals that suppress its neighbours, worst in a small tank with weak flow and stale carbon. Increase flow, change carbon often, and place it downstream.
Does Devil’s hand leather coral need feeding?: No. It gets its energy from its symbiotic algae, and extra food only raises nutrients.
What water parameters does Devil’s hand leather coral need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.023–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Devil’s hand leather coral a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: beginner. Growth: fast. Place it in the midground / background. Spacing: 12-15 cm, and measure it against the grown colony, not the frag you just bought.