Not furry either, still lovely.
Toadstool Leather Coral
Sarcophyton spp.
Also called Toadstool coral, Mushroom leather coral, Rough leather coral (S. glaucum)
From From the Red Sea to the western Pacific (S. glaucum); aquarium stock comes from Indonesia, Tonga, other Indo-Pacific areas and mariculture.12
At a glance the quick version
S. glaucum colonies reach up to about 80 cm across; aquarium pieces are sold at about 4-18 cm.
Looks how to spot one
Fleshy soft coral (no hard skeleton)
Shaped like a toadstool: a smooth stalk carrying a broad cap covered in small polyps, each with eight tentacles. As it grows larger the cap edge becomes wavy and folded.12
Personality what they are like
A peaceful coral toward tankmates, but it releases natural chemicals that can bother nearby corals, so it needs its own space.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Sessile; extends its polyps to feed and grows steadily into a large mushroom shape.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Easy care. Top up strontium, trace elements and iodine. It can be propagated by cutting pieces from the cap. Leave generous space around it.2
Home where they are happiest
A reef aquarium with medium to high light and medium flow; it can go anywhere in the tank. Stable reef-aquarium water: about 22-26 C (72-78 F), pH 8.1-8.4, alkalinity 8-12 dKH, specific gravity 1.023-1.025.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Mostly fed through photosynthesis by the algae in its tissue; micro-plankton, baby brine shrimp or filter-feeder foods can be offered as extras.2
Company who they like around
Lives as a single colony; keep it apart from other soft and stony corals because of its chemical defences.23
The story where it all began
Lesson named the genus Sarcophyton in 1834, a year after Quoy and Gaimard described S. glaucum. These corals are widespread on Indo-Pacific reefs and are now commonly kept and farmed for the aquarium trade.31
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
A single toadstool colony can grow to about 80 cm across.1
- 2
It makes a natural compound called sarcophytoxide that puts off grazers and slows the growth of nearby corals.3
- 3
The false cowry, a sea snail, feeds on Sarcophyton and seems able to handle its chemical defences.3
- 4
Scientists study S. glaucum for the unusual natural compounds it produces.1
- 5
Each polyp has eight tentacles, the mark of an octocoral.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Genus Sarcophyton Lesson, 1834 (family Alcyoniidae), with 60+ species. S. glaucum (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833) is the best-known toadstool.3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Toadstool Leather Coral. 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
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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.
- Sarcophyton glaucum (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for range, colony size, polyps, habitat, research interest, history
- Toadstool Mushroom Leather Coral (LiveAquaria care sheet) liveaquaria.comused for care, light, flow, water values, colours, sizes, feeding, propagation
- Sarcophyton (coral) (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for genus, author, species count, chemical defences, predator, aquarium use
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.