Indo-Pacific, from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific; shallow reef flats
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
Flow
Low to moderate
Care
Rhodactis inchoata is a corallimorph ("mushroom coral"), a soft, flat disc covered in short, branched or bead-like tentacles that give it a fuzzy, hairy look. Colours include green, blue, purple, brown and bullseye patterns. Place it low to mid in the tank. LiveAquaria lists a Rhodactis relative as easy in care, with moderate light, medium flow and bottom-to-middle placement. Mushrooms dislike strong direct flow. Water: LiveAquaria gives dKH 8–12, pH 8.1–8.4, specific gravity 1.023–1.025 and 22–26 °C, with iodine, strontium and trace elements. Note: LiveAquaria covers a relative (Rhodactis indosinensis), so the figures above are from that page. Not CITES-listed. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/hairy-mushroom-coral). Checked October 2026.
Diet
Partly photosynthetic. It also eats plankton and small meaty foods, which can be given now and then.
Breeding
Easy. It divides by fission or by pieces of the foot tearing off. You can cut a mushroom in half with a scalpel and hold the pieces in a container of rubble until they attach.
Compatibility and tank mates
Semi-aggressive: it can harm sessile neighbours and overgrow them. Give it 10 cm of space and keep it on its own rock.
Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.
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