Not furry either, still lovely.
Pulsing Xenia
Xenia spp.
Also called Pulse coral, Pom-pom xenia, Pumping xenia, Fast-pulse Xenia
From Tropical reefs; aquarium stock is widely aquacultured.1
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Soft coral (no hard skeleton)
Soft stalks topped with clusters of eight-tentacled polyps that look like little hands. The polyps open and close in a steady rhythm, so the whole colony seems to breathe.21
Personality what they are like
A peaceful coral best known for its constant pulsing. It may stop pulsing at times, and that alone is not a cause for concern.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Sessile, but always moving: the polyps pulse to push water away from the colony.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Add iodine and trace elements. It spreads quickly, so give it space away from other soft corals and thin it out when needed.1
Home where they are happiest
A reef aquarium with moderate to high light and medium to strong flow. Stable reef-aquarium water: about 22-26 C (72-78 F), pH 8.1-8.4, alkalinity 8-12 dKH, specific gravity 1.023-1.025.1
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Most of its nutrition comes from the algae in its tissue; weekly micro-plankton or filter-feeder food is suggested on top.1
Company who they like around
Colonial; it grows into dense groups and should be spaced from other sessile animals.1
The story where it all began
Lamarck named the genus Xenia in 1816, and new species were still being described as recently as 2022. Its rhythmic pulsing has made it a favourite in reef tanks, and much of what is sold today is aquacultured.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Xenia is one of very few corals that visibly pulse, opening and closing its polyps over and over.2
- 2
Each polyp has eight feathery tentacles.1
- 3
More than 70 Xenia species are recognised, some described as recently as 2022.2
- 4
It can multiply fast enough in a good tank that keepers regularly trim it back.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Genus Xenia Lamarck, 1816 (family Xeniidae); WoRMS lists over 70 species. Xenia elongata is one commonly sold form.2
- LiveAquaria (trade)
- Aquacultured Xenia elongata sold as 'Silver Branch Pumping Xenia'.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Pulsing Xenia. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingDepends on species, many feed from the light and the watervaries
- Salinity checkevery week
- Water testevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Light checkevery month
You might also like
Green Star Polyps
Kenya Tree CoralLike what we are building? Buy Archy a bone.
All of this is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. It was a big job to build, so if it helped you, buy Archy a bone. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.
Archy is our Australian Cattle Dog and chief taste tester. Tips go to 4V3D OÜ, the small family studio behind Furry Diary.
Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Silver Branch Pumping Xenia Coral, Xenia elongata (LiveAquaria care sheet) liveaquaria.comused for care, light, flow, water values, size, colour, feeding, growth
- Xenia (coral) (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for names, description, pulsing, taxonomy, species count, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.