How related are they?
Same genus, Fimbriaphyllia (Hammer and frogspawn corals): very close cousins
They split at the species level: the Branching Frogspawn Coral belongs to Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa (Branching Frogspawn Coral), the Hammer Coral to Fimbriaphyllia ancora (Hammer Coral).
Find the Branching Frogspawn Coral on the tree · Find the Hammer 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 | Branching Frogspawn Coral | Hammer Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Cnidaria Cnidarians | |
| Subphylum | Anthozoa Corals and sea anemones | |
| Class | Hexacorallia Hexacorals | |
| Order | Scleractinia Stony corals | |
| Suborder | Refertina Complex corals | |
| Family | Euphylliidae Euphylliid corals | |
| Genus | Fimbriaphyllia Hammer and frogspawn corals | |
| Species split | Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa Branching Frogspawn Coral | Fimbriaphyllia ancora Hammer Coral |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Branching Frogspawn Coral | Hammer Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Coral · LPS coral | Coral · LPS coral |
| Care level | Moderate | Moderate |
| Reef safe | With caution | With caution |
| Temperament | Aggressive | Aggressive |
| Diet | Photosynthetic | Photosynthetic |
| Favorite foods | Mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Micro-plankton and zooplankton | Mysis shrimp, Brine shrimp, Fine coral foods such as Reef Roids |
| Max size | 10 in (25.4 cm) | 31.5 in (80 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 55 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 76–78 °F | 75–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.025–1.026 | 1.024–1.026 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 5–15 ppm | 5–15 ppm |
| Lifespan | No published lifespan. Colonies keep growing by adding heads; Fish Tank Advisor reports branching frogspawn producing 30 or more new clusters a year, and healthy heads can be fragged off to start new colonies. | No fixed lifespan: colonies keep growing by budding and splitting heads and can persist for many years in a stable aquarium. Single heads can be lost to stress (polyp bailout) while the rest of the colony lives on. |
| Breeding | Easy | Moderate |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |