On 12-25-02 I purchased this coral, to try my hand at a LPS and to see if it would do well under Power Compact Lighting. The idea was that it had two separate heads, so I'd have two chances for success.

January 7, 2003: I saw the coral expelling digested zoanthellae. I'm assuming this occured because the corals were adjusting to my intense lighting: 165w PC's about 10" above the coral. These 13 consecutive pictures were taken over a three minute period.

03-02-03:
After observing it closely for the past two months, I see what appears to be a second mouth. Other than that, it hasn't changed much. However, yesterday I decided to target feed them after the lights were out.....

I looked at them with a flashlight, and those feeder / stinging tentacles were extended. I quickly thawed some brine shrimp while the timing was right, and with a dropper squeezed it over the two of them gently. Most of it washed away of course. Then my Cleaner Shrimp smelled it and came rushing over to steal it all from the polyps! I held him at bay, and fed a little more so as to make sure they grabbed at least a brine shrimp or two.

About a minute later, that same Cleaner Shrimp came from around the LR on the other side, hoping to sneak in under my hand. That didn't last long, and he made a quick retreat.

I decided that I better keep my hand as a shield for the duration, because my Coral Banded Shrimp was surely next to arrive and stake a claim on the food. It probably took 5 minutes for the mouths to open wide and the food somehow slowly entered that gaping hole. The mouth was really big!

Still I stood guard and waited until the mouths on both heads were completely closed again so that nothing could try to pick the food out (Long Nose Hawkfish comes to mind, as well as both shrimp or even a rogue hermit).

The mouths closed and looked puckered up like they wanted to kiss me for finally feeding them real food. Then 30 minutes later, both heads were extremely swollen unlike I've ever seen before.

Two hours later, I came back to check on them again. As you can see, the tentacles are still out, and the outer edge of the polyp head has opened completely, showing what looks like a corrugated or baffled membrane. Perhaps this is how it filter feeds late at night.

I've been told by the LFS that this is Candy Cane, but when I looked it up in Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals it seems to match Trumpet Coral. I've since been informed that this is most likely caulastrea. Regardless of the name, it is a beautiful and interesting addition to my reef!