Branching Hammer Coral (Fimbriaphyllia paraancora)
Looking for a mesmerizing showpiece that adds incredible movement and vibrant colour to your reef? The Branching Hammer Coral is an absolute staple for any Large Polyp Stony (LPS) collector. Instantly recognizable by its long, fleshy tentacles capped with glowing, hammer- or anchor-shaped tips, this coral sways beautifully in the current, bringing the aquascape to life.
Unlike "Wall" Hammers, which grow as one continuous, risky skeleton, the Branching Hammer grows distinct, separate skeletal stalks topped with individual heads. This branching growth habit makes it significantly hardier, much more forgiving if a single head gets damaged, and incredibly easy to frag. Under blue actinic lighting, the tips—often found in toxic greens, metallic golds, or deep purples—light up with a brilliant fluorescence.
At UKReef Hampshire, we absolutely love Branching Hammers because they offer the dramatic, flowing look of an anemone but are far easier to control and keep in place. They are a brilliant investment for reefers looking to add high-end movement and structure to their lower reef!
Quick Care Guide:
Care Level: Moderate. They are generally robust but, like all stony corals, require stable Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium levels to build their heavy branching skeletons.
Temperament: Aggressive. ⚠️ Important: They possess long, stinging sweeper tentacles that they use to clear their personal space. Give them plenty of room away from other species. However, they can often be placed closely with other Euphyllia and Fimbriaphyllia (like Frogspawns), though mixing with Torches can sometimes cause warfare.
Placement: Bottom to Middle. Secure the stony base into a crevice in the rockwork, ensuring the fleshy heads have plenty of room to fully expand in all directions during the day.
Lighting: Low to Moderate. They do not appreciate being blasted with intense, high-end LEDs. If the light is too strong, they will refuse to open fully and may begin to bleach.
Water Flow: Moderate. This is crucial for their health. You want a gentle, pulsing, and indirect flow that causes their tentacles to sway gently. Direct, heavy flow will batter the flesh against their sharp skeletons, causing tissue tears and deadly bacterial infections.
Feeding: Highly Recommended. While highly photosynthetic, they are greedy eaters. Target feeding them meaty foods like Mysis shrimp or high-quality LPS pellets 1–2 times a week will result in massive, fleshy heads and much faster splitting and skeletal growth.
Are you planning to stock these as single beginner frags, or will you be offering larger, multi-head colonies for display tanks?