How related are they?
Same family, Lobophylliidae (Lobophylliid corals): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Acan Lord Coral belongs to Micromussa (Micromussa corals), the Lobophyllia Coral to Lobophyllia (carpet brain coral).
Find the Acan Lord Coral on the tree · Find the Lobophyllia Coral on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Acan Lord Coral | Lobophyllia Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Cnidaria Cnidarians | |
| Subphylum | Anthozoa Corals and sea anemones | |
| Class | Hexacorallia Hexacorals | |
| Order | Scleractinia Stony corals | |
| Suborder | Vacatina Robust corals | |
| Family | Lobophylliidae Lobophylliid corals | |
| Genus split | Micromussa Micromussa corals | Lobophyllia carpet brain coral |
| Species | Micromussa lordhowensis Acan Lord Coral | — |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Acan Lord Coral | Lobophyllia Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Coral · LPS coral | Coral · LPS coral |
| Care level | Easy | Moderate |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Aggressive |
| Diet | Photosynthetic | Photosynthetic |
| Favorite foods | Mysis shrimp, chopped to polyp size, Brine shrimp, Fine coral foods such as Reef Roids | Light (photosynthesis by symbiotic algae), Mysis and other frozen meaty foods, Coral pellets and powders |
| Minimum tank | 20 gal | — |
| Temperature | 75–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.025–1.026 | 1.023–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 5–20 ppm | 5–10 ppm |
| Lifespan | No fixed lifespan. A colony keeps adding polyps by budding and can persist for many years in a stable aquarium (much longer in the wild) as long as conditions stay good. | No published lifespan. Colonies grow slowly and can persist for many years once settled; Tidal Gardens notes that survival improves the longer a coral has been in captivity. |
| Breeding | Moderate | Moderate |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Endangered | Not Evaluated |