Tongue Coral - Polyphillia species - Slipper Coral - Hairy Slipper Coral

Tongue Coral - Polyphillia species Taxonomy: Tongue Coral belongs to the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa, Family Fungiidae and Genus Polyphillia.

Scientific names: The scientific name of Tongue Coral is Polyphillia species.

Other common names: Tongue Coral is also commonly called as Slipper / Tongue Coral, Slipper Coral, Sea Mole, Mole Coral, Hairy Tongue Coral and Hairy Slipper Coral.

Coral Type: Tongue Coral is a Large Polyp Stony (LPS) Coral.

Origin or natural range: The Polyphillia species originates from the Indo-Pacific region including Indonesia, the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and Andaman Sea.

Color: Tongue Coral occurs in green, purple, orange, tan, brown and cream colors.

Compatibility: The Polyphillia species is aggressive towards the other marine aquarium invertebrates.

Habit & Habitat:

• Tongue Coral forms long, narrow and flat or arched colonial structures.
• The Polyphillia species is found on soft sandy or muddy bottoms of the marine water bodies at a depth of three feet to thirteen feet.

Morphology:

• Tongue Coral is quite hardy.
• As the name suggests, the Polyphillia species resembles the shape of a tongue, leaf, T, X or Y.
• Tongue Coral is flat or arched in structure with a central axis.
• The Polyphillia species has calcareous skeleton.
• Tongue Coral has many mouths on its surface, of which the larger mouths are arranged around the central furrow.
• The polyps of the Polyphillia species expand during the day.
• The short tentacles of Tongue Coral are shaped like a horn, are approximately two centimeters long, have forked tips and are brown in color with white tips.

Growth enabling environment in your marine aquarium:

• Temperature of water: Seventy-two to seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit.
• Specific gravity of water: 1.023 to 1.025.
• pH of water: 8.10 to 8.40.

Water flow in the aquarium:

• Tongue Coral needs moderate water flow in the marine aquarium it inhabits.
• Very strong water current may hamper the complete opening up of the Polyphillia species.

Illumination: Tongue Coral requires moderate lighting in the reef aquarium hosting it.

Habit & habitat:

• Place the Polyphillia species on sand in your marine aquarium.
• As the base of Tongue Coral is soft, placing the coral on a hard surface may stress the Polyphillia species leading to its demise eventually.
• Tongue Coral moves around in the marine aquarium it inhabits. Therefore, provide ample space for its locomotion without any hindrance.
• Keep the Polyphillia species away from the other marine aquarium invertebrates as it may sting them, if obstructed.

Feeding & Nutrition:

• Tongue Coral derives its nutrition chiefly through photosynthesis which is being performed by zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic alga living symbiotically within the coral.
• During the day when performing photosynthesis, Tongue Coral expands its polyps to shift its base to a well illuminated region of the marine aquarium.
• The Polyphillia species is Carnivorous in feeding habit and filter feeds once or twice per week, when open.
• Tongue Coral feeds upon acellular marine invertebrates, meaty bits of raw shrimp, Silver Side and Mysis Shrimp, zooplankton and phytoplankton.
• Add Calcium, Strontium and trace elements to the water as dietary supplements for Tongue Coral.

Care:

• The Polyphillia species is easy to maintain.
• Don’t keep Tongue Coral and Polychaetes (Bristleworms) in the same marine aquarium as the worms may bother the coral.

Caution: Keep the other marine aquarium invertebrates at an ample distance from Tongue Coral since the coral may sting them upon coming in their contact.

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