Coral
ECC Kiwi Fusion Leptoseris
Leptoseris sp.AgariciidaeLPS corals
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The ECC Kiwi Fusion Leptoseris is an incredibly bright green encrusting coral with green mouths, known for thriving in shaded or less intensely lit parts of the tank. It prefers low to medium light (75-250 PAR) with moderate flow on rockwork, is a fast grower, and makes a good filler for shaded areas where other corals struggle.
Quick facts
Handling caution: Short sweeper tentacles can sting neighboring corals; skeleton is thin and fragile when handling frags
Identity
- Also known as
- Wrinkle coral; Frankenstein Leptoseris; Jack O Lantern Leptoseris
- Environment
- Saltwater
- Native to
- Indo-Pacific
- Habitat
- Reef walls and deep or mesophotic reef slopes with reduced light penetration
- Sourcing
- Aquacultured
- Conservation
- Not Evaluated
Care
- Care level
- Easy
- Coral type
- LPS
- Temperament
- Semi-Aggressive
- Growth form
- Encrusting
- Adult size
- 0.5 – 12 in (1.3 – 30 cm)
- Spread
- 12 in (30 cm)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Placement
- Low, Middle
Water
- Temperature
- 75 – 80 °F (24 – 27 °C)
- pH
- 8.1 – 8.4
- dKH
- 8 – 9.5 dKH
- Salinity
- 1.025 – 1.026 SG
- PAR
- 50 – 250 PAR
- Flow
- Low-Moderate
- Light
- Low
Reef care
- Nutrient preference
- Medium
- Alk/Ca uptake
- Medium
- Target feeding
- Beneficial
- Give it room
- 2 in (5.1 cm)
- Colors
- Green, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Multicolor
Feeding & breeding
- Diet
- Photosynthetic
- Foods
- Coral food, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton
- Propagation
- Fragging
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Care guide
Overview
Collected and propagated from Indo-Pacific mesophotic reef slopes, this Leptoseris carries dense green pigmentation with contrasting green mouths across its encrusting plates. Kept under low to medium PAR with gentle flow, it grows quickly and fills shaded rockwork where higher-light corals fail, though sweeper tentacles require spacing from neighbors.
Care
This encrusting LPS does well in lower-light zones of the reef tank where many other corals struggle, making it a useful filler for shaded rockwork or cave entrances. It tolerates a range of light from roughly 50 to 250 PAR but should be acclimated slowly since it evolved in dimmer, mesophotic conditions and can bleach under sudden intense light. Moderate, gentle flow keeps its thin encrusting plates free of detritus without tearing tissue, and stable calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels support steady skeletal growth.
Placement & acclimation
Mount frags on rockwork or bare glass in low to medium light areas with moderate, indirect flow, leaving open space for lateral spread. New pieces should be acclimated gradually over two to three weeks, starting in a dimmer spot before moving toward target lighting to avoid shock. A brief mild iodine dip on arrival is a reasonable precaution given how thin and easily damaged the skeleton is.
Feeding
Most of its nutrition comes from photosynthesis through zooxanthellae, so consistent lighting is the primary feeding requirement. Occasional target feeding of fine particulate foods such as phytoplankton, rotifers, or powdered coral food can boost color and growth, best offered with flow reduced so food settles onto the tissue. Amino acid dosing has also been reported to help maintain coloration in dimmer setups.
Neighbors
Give this coral generous clearance from neighbors, at least a couple of inches, since its sweeper tentacles can sting adjacent corals at night. Because it encrusts continuously in any direction with no natural stopping point, placement should account for future spread onto rockwork or glass. It generally coexists well with other LPS and soft corals as long as spacing is respected and more aggressive stinging corals are kept farther away.
Fragging
Frag by cutting or cracking off encrusted sections of skeleton along with living tissue and mounting the pieces on plugs or rock; the growing edge will re-encrust onto the new surface. Growth is relatively fast for an LPS, so fragments recover and re-attach within a few weeks under stable conditions.
Pests & problems
Tissue that turns pale or white usually signals excess light or bleaching stress, while browning can indicate low light or elevated nutrients. Edge recession is often tied to swings in alkalinity or accumulated detritus trapped against the thin plates. Regularly clearing debris with a turkey baster and keeping parameters stable helps prevent slow tissue loss along the growing margins.
Sources
Varieties in the catalog
More LPS corals
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In the community
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