How related are they?
Same genus, Fimbriaphyllia (Hammer and frogspawn corals): very close cousins
They split at the species level: the Hammer Coral belongs to Fimbriaphyllia ancora (Hammer Coral), the Branching Frogspawn Coral to Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa (Branching Frogspawn Coral).
Find the Hammer 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 | Hammer 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 ancora Hammer Coral | Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa Branching Frogspawn Coral |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Hammer 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 | Mysis shrimp, Brine shrimp, Fine coral foods such as Reef Roids | Mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Micro-plankton and zooplankton |
| Max size | 31.5 in (80 cm) | 10 in (25.4 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 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 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. | 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 |