How related are they?
Same family, Lobophylliidae (Lobophylliid corals): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Scoly Coral belongs to Lobophyllia (carpet brain coral), the Acan Lord Coral to Micromussa (Micromussa corals).
Find the Scoly Coral on the tree · Find the Acan Lord 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 | Scoly Coral | Acan Lord 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 | Lobophyllia carpet brain coral | Micromussa Micromussa corals |
| Species | Lobophyllia vitiensis Scoly Coral | Micromussa lordhowensis Acan Lord Coral |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Scoly Coral | Acan Lord Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Coral · LPS coral | Coral · LPS coral |
| Care level | Easy | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Semi-aggressive |
| Diet | Photosynthetic | Photosynthetic |
| Favorite foods | Mysis shrimp, Brine shrimp (enriched), Chopped krill or shrimp | Mysis shrimp, chopped to polyp size, Brine shrimp, Fine coral foods such as Reef Roids |
| Max size | 4 in (10.2 cm) | — |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal | 20 gal |
| Temperature | 74–78 °F | 75–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.023–1.026 | 1.025–1.026 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | — | 5–20 ppm |
| Lifespan | No fixed lifespan. A single scoly can live for many years in a stable aquarium if it is fed and kept out of harm's way; growth is slow. | 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. |
| Breeding | Hard | Moderate |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Endangered |