Scolymia

Scolymia for Sale

A scoly is one polyp, one mouth, one animal. There is nothing to frag and nothing to hide behind, so the color and the condition of that single disc are what you are paying for. Every scoly on this page is WYSIWYG and photographed in our Key West systems.

Aussie scoly, Homophyllia and true Scolymia

Nearly every “scoly” in the trade is the Australian species, now named Homophyllia australis. It was called Scolymia australis until a 2016 reclassification. True Scolymia lives in the Atlantic and Caribbean. A quick tell is the skeleton: Aussie scolys have blunt spines along the septa, and true Scolymia have finer ones. The care is the same.

Why scolys cost what they do

Aussie scolys are wild-collected from shallow Australian water, one animal at a time, and they are poor candidates for aquaculture. In 2023, a Queensland fishery risk assessment rated Homophyllia australis “extreme” risk. Supply is limited, and a scoly with unusual color is a one-off.

Scoly care, in numbers

• Light: about 100 PAR is enough.
• Flow: minimal. Strong flow drags the tissue across the sharp septa and tears it.
• Placement: on the bottom, at a slight angle, with clear space around it.
• Feeding: required. Chopped fish or shrimp on the mouth once or twice a week, with the pumps off.
• Neighbors: short tentacles and low risk to others unless something touches it. Protect it from more aggressive LPS.

How to pick a healthy scoly

• Puffy flesh that covers the skeleton evenly.
• A closed or neat mouth. A gaping, stretched-open mouth is a warning sign.
• No torn tissue at the edge where the skeleton spines are sharpest.

Common problems

The mouth is gaping. A sign of stress. Check the flow first, then how often it is being fed.

Tissue tearing at the rim. Too much flow, or it is rubbing on rock. Move it to open sand.

It shrank after shipping. Normal for a few days. Keep it in low flow, moderate light, and stop moving it.

Questions we get asked

How fast do scolys grow?

Slowly. You buy a scoly for what it is now.

Can I keep two scolys together?

Yes, with space between them so the tissue never touches.

How it ships from Key West

Scolys ship UPS Next Day Air on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, so no box sits in a hub over a weekend. We ship to the lower 48. We do not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.

• Shipping charge: $30 for qualifying Florida livestock orders under 6 lb, and $50 elsewhere in the lower 48. The shipping charge is per order.
• Free livestock transportation: on qualifying livestock subtotals of $299 or more. WYSIWYG pieces count toward the $299. Dry goods do not.
• Box & Handling Fee: $10 per livestock box, and it still applies on orders with free livestock transportation. A box carries up to 6 lb of packed livestock. Heavier orders go out in additional boxes, each with its own $10 fee.
• Live arrival: if something arrives dead, photograph the animal inside the unopened bag within 4 hours of UPS delivery confirmation and send it with your order number.

Keep reading

• Scolymia Care Guide: Feeding, Light, Placement and Why Scolys Cost So Much
• Scolymia: One Polyp, One Animal
• Spot Feeding Corals
• Cynarina · Acans · Open brains · All LPS corals · WYSIWYG corals