Gold Toadstool Leather Coral (Sarcophyton sp.)

Sarcophyton's mushroom-cap silhouette — a stalk topped by a broad, flat disc — is the toadstool signature, and the cap itself does double duty as feeding surface and light collector once the polyps are extended. Like other leather corals it periodically sheds a thin layer of tissue to clear off algae and detritus, leaving it looking dull and waxy for a day or two before it recovers, completely normal even though it startles new keepers. This one holds a warm golden-tan across the cap that looks especially good under a mix of white and blue spectrum.

Care level: Easy · Light/Flow/Placement: Moderate light, moderate flow, bottom-to-mid tank · Max size: 8-12" cap diameter · Diet: Photosynthetic, no target feeding required