Wellsophyllia Brain Coral (4″) – Conditioned in Key West

Description

You are buying the exact coral in the photo — a 4″ Wellsophyllia brain coral photographed under blue spectrum reef lighting. The skeleton folds into deep, sweeping valleys, and the tissue runs electric teal and mint green across the ridges with magenta and deep blue settling into the troughs. The wall pattern is unusually tight and symmetrical for a Wellso of this size, which is what gives it that folded-brain look from directly above. Conditioned in our Key West systems.

About Wellsophyllia (Trachyphyllia radiata)

Wellsophyllia is the folded, closed-wall form of the Trachyphyllia group — modern taxonomy folds it into Trachyphyllia radiata, though the hobby still separates “Wellso” from “Trachy” by shape. A Wellso is a single free-living polyp with a heavily convoluted wall, where a Trachy tends to be more open and butterfly-shaped. They are collected from soft-sediment lagoon floors rather than reef structure, which is why they sit flat on sand and never attach to rock. Because each one is a solitary polyp that cannot be fragged, every specimen is a one-off — the colour and fold pattern you see is the only one like it.

Care Guide

Forgiving for a collector-grade LPS — it asks for calm water, gentle light and regular feeding, and it repays that with dramatic tissue inflation and colour.

• Lighting: Low to Medium — PAR 50–150. Diffused light brings out fluorescence without bleaching the tissue.
• Flow: Low to Moderate — indirect, gentle. Cut flow while target feeding.
• Placement: Sandbed or a flat spot on lower rockwork where the polyp can fully inflate.
• Feeding: High — meaty foods (mysis, chopped krill, Reef-Roids, LPS pellets) two to three times weekly.
• Aggression: Semi-aggressive — allow 3–4″ of clear space from neighbours.
• Water Parameters: Temp 76–78°F, salinity 1.025–1.026, Alk 8–9 dKH, Ca 420–440, Mg 1300–1400. Stability matters more than exact numbers.

Shipping & Live Arrival Guarantee

Ships UPS Overnight every Tuesday and Wednesday from Key West, Florida. Packed with insulated box and heat or cold pack appropriate for current conditions. Specimen is carefully secured to prevent movement during transit.

Live arrival is guaranteed. If your coral arrives DOA, photograph the animal inside the unopened bag within 4 hours of delivery confirmation and contact us right away. We will work with you on a resolution.

Placement: Sandbed or a flat, low-flow spot on the lower rockwork — never wedged into rock, as the polyp needs room to inflate.

Overnight shipping · Live Arrival Guaranteed. See current rates, ship days and how a claim works.