Blue mushroom (Discosoma neglecta) care guide

Group

Corals

Other names

Actinodiscus, Blue mushroom coral, Discosoma

Family

Discosomidae

Origin

Tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean, on shallow reefs

Water

saltwater

Temperature

22–26°C

pH

8.1–8.4

Hardness

dKH 8–12

Care level

beginner

Reef safe

yes

Lighting

Low to moderate (LiveAquaria: moderate)

Flow

Low to moderate

Care

Discosoma neglecta is a smooth, flat mushroom coral (a corallimorph) in shades of blue, purple or blue-green, often with faint radial lines. Each mushroom is a single disc on a short stalk. LiveAquaria sells blue mushrooms as Actinodiscus sp. (an older name for Discosoma) and notes the taxonomy is still changing; its pieces come from the Indo-Pacific, while D. neglecta itself is Caribbean. It rates them easy, with moderate light, low to medium flow and placement anywhere in the tank. Mushrooms usually look best lower down in subdued light, and can take a few days to open after acclimatisation. Water: LiveAquaria gives dKH 8–12, pH 8.1–8.4 and 22–26 °C, with iodine and trace elements. LiveAquaria says mushrooms multiply and spread very quickly under good conditions. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/blue-mushroom). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Partly photosynthetic. LiveAquaria says they also take up dissolved nutrients and particles and benefit from micro-plankton or brine shrimp fed to each polyp.

Breeding

Very easy: mushrooms split on their own and drop pieces from the foot. You can also cut a mushroom in half through the mouth with a scalpel, or slice it off the rock, and keep the pieces in a container of rubble in low flow until they attach.

Compatibility and tank mates

Semi-aggressive (LiveAquaria): mushrooms can sting and shade nearby corals and spread over rock, so keep them away from stony corals.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.