Duncan coral — Duncanopsammia axifuga — grows a flat disc of long, kelp-green tentacles around a bright center, stacked on branching tubes that add new heads as the colony grows. Nothing else in the trade quite matches the look: candy canes branch the same way but wear short striped polyps, and torches flow the same way but end in glowing tips.
Duncans are enthusiastic eaters, and that appetite is the whole care story. A fed duncan adds heads noticeably faster than a starved one, and the polyps take mysis or pellet food straight from a feeding tool. They are peaceful, forgiving about light, and among the first corals a new keeper can genuinely watch respond to care.
Care at a glance
| Light (PAR) | 75–150 |
|---|---|
| Flow | Moderate |
| Placement | Lower to middle rock, room to spread new heads |
| Feeding | Strongly beneficial — feeds readily, grows faster for it |
| Aggression | Low |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
The one complaint duncans generate is staying retracted, and the diagnostic is the same as for their Euphyllia cousins — the not-extending checklist covers duncans almost line for line. Pair one with the rest of the beginner LPS shelf in the species directory.
Duncans in stock now
1 in stock right now
One thing to know before you order: shipping and packing are charged by the box, not by the coral. A box holds several corals for the same $15 packing fee and the same overnight ride, Florida orders under 6 lb ship overnight for a flat $30, and livestock orders over $399 ship free. If this page puts one coral on your list, it is worth seeing what else belongs in the box — start with corals under $100 or the newest WYSIWYG pieces.
Our stony corals are either aquacultured at the shop in Key West under Florida Aquaculture Certificate #AQ0254072 or conditioned in our Key West systems before they ship, and the photo on a WYSIWYG listing is the exact animal that ships. Corals ship UPS Overnight every Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are ever in Key West, come see the raceways.