Branching frogspawn coral (Euphyllia paradivisa) care guide

Group
Corals
Other names
Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa, Branching frogspawn, Frogspawn
Family
Euphylliidae
Origin
Indo-West Pacific, including Indonesia and Australia
Water
saltwater
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12
Care level
intermediate
Reef safe
with_caution
Lighting
Moderate
Flow
Medium

Care

Euphyllia paradivisa is the branching frogspawn: a large-polyp stony (LPS) coral whose tentacles end in clusters of small knobs that look like frogspawn, carried on separate branching stalks rather than the wall-like skeleton of the ordinary frogspawn (Euphyllia divisa). Green, brown and tan are usual, often with contrasting tips. Australian and Indonesian pieces are common, and the species is mostly traded as aquacultured frags. LiveAquaria's frogspawn listing (E. divisa) is the source for the care below. Naming: in 2017 the branching frogspawn was moved, with the hammer and frogspawn corals, to the genus Fimbriaphyllia, so its accepted name is now Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa. Placement: middle to top of the rockwork in moderate light and medium flow, with plenty of space around it. Too much flow stops the polyps extending. Water: alkalinity dKH 8–12, pH 8.1–8.4, with calcium, strontium, magnesium and trace elements kept up. Growth is moderate, with new heads appearing by branching. Selling: this is a CITES Appendix II coral. Frags grown in the UK can be sold freely; wild-collected or imported pieces must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/frogspawn-coral). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Photosynthetic, but it benefits from target feeding with mysis, brine shrimp or micro-plankton once or twice a week.

Breeding

Easy to frag because each head sits on its own branch: cut between branches with bone cutters or a saw below the tissue line and glue the cut head to a plug or rock with gel superglue or epoxy.

Compatibility and tank mates

Aggressive. At night its sweeper tentacles can reach about 15 cm and sting nearby corals, so leave 15 cm or more clearance. It is usually fine touching other Euphyllia/Fimbriaphyllia but not other corals. Clownfish sometimes host in it. Angelfish and butterflyfish may nip it.

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

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