Leather Corals: Toadstools, Devils Hand, and More

Big, Bold, and Basically Bulletproof

Leather corals are the tanks of the soft coral world. They grow large, tolerate a wide range of conditions, and add a completely different texture compared to zoas and mushrooms. For movement and space-filling presence, leathers are hard to beat.

Toadstool Leathers (Sarcophyton)

A thick stalk with a flat cap covered in polyps. When fully extended, it looks like a tiny underwater tree swaying in the current.

Medium light, medium flow — they appreciate enough current to keep the cap clean
They periodically shed a waxy coating — completely normal. They'll close up, look awful for a few days, then shed and come back looking better than ever
Can grow 30cm+ across in mature tanks. Plan placement accordingly

The shedding cycle catches many new keepers off guard. It's not dying — it's moulting. Leave it alone and let nature do its thing.

Devils Hand (Lobophytum)

Named for finger-like projections. Proper chunky corals with real presence.

Very hardy. Tolerates a wider parameter range than most corals
Moderate light and flow
Grows relatively slowly compared to toadstools
Comes in shades of cream, green, and tan

Kenya Tree (Capnella)

The coral that divides the hobby.

The good: Dirt cheap (often free), grows rapidly, looks nice swaying in the current, and is genuinely impossible to kill.

The bad: It propagates by dropping branches constantly. These land everywhere, attach to everything, and grow into new colonies.

Best approach: keep it on an isolated rock island surrounded by sand, so dropped branches land where they're easy to remove.

General Leather Coral Tips

Chemical warfare is real. Leathers produce terpenes that can inhibit nearby coral growth, especially SPS. Good carbon filtration and regular water changes help manage this.

They need space. Don't cram a leather next to other corals — they expand significantly when happy.

Fragging is straightforward. A clean razor blade, rubber-banded to a frag plug. They heal quickly.

Leathers are some of the best value corals available. A small toadstool frag will grow into a centrepiece coral given time. Check out leather corals from UK hobbyists on Reefsy.