How related are they?
Same genus, Fimbriaphyllia (Hammer and frogspawn corals): very close cousins
They split at the species level: the Frogspawn Coral belongs to Fimbriaphyllia divisa (Frogspawn Coral), the Branching Frogspawn Coral to Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa (Branching Frogspawn Coral).
Find the Frogspawn Coral on the tree · Find the Branching Frogspawn 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 | Frogspawn Coral | Branching Frogspawn 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 divisa Frogspawn Coral | Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa Branching Frogspawn Coral |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Frogspawn Coral | Branching Frogspawn 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 | Microplankton, Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp | Mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Micro-plankton and zooplankton |
| Max size | 10 in (25.4 cm) | 10 in (25.4 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 55 gal | 55 gal |
| Temperature | 75–78 °F | 76–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.024–1.026 | 1.025–1.026 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 5–15 ppm | 5–15 ppm |
| Lifespan | No fixed lifespan: colonies grow by budding and can persist for many years in a stable aquarium. Stressed colonies may lose heads through polyp bailout while the rest survives. | 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. |
| Breeding | Moderate | Easy |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |