Stylophora

Stylophora pistillata

The "cat's paw" — one of the toughest, most beginner-friendly branching SPS.

Difficulty: Beginner–IntermediateSPS coral (advanced)

Stylophora (Stylophora pistillata), the "cat's paw" or club-finger coral, is one of the hardiest SPS you can buy — a stout, thick-branched coral in pinks, purples and greens that shrugs off conditions that would melt an Acropora. Along with pocillopora it's the classic "first branching SPS," a great stepping stone once your alk/Ca/Mg are stable.

Good to know: Moderate-high light (~300–400 PAR) + moderately strong alternating flow; a good first SPS.

📊 What keepers actually ask: Recommended alongside pocillopora as the gateway branching SPS; the recurring "what SPS should I start with?" answer.

Care at a glance

Colony / form	Stout, thick, blunt-tipped branches (hence "cat's paw"); grows into a dense bush.
Lighting	Moderate to high — around 300–400 PAR once acclimated.
Water flow	Moderately strong, alternating or random — enough to keep the branches clean.
Placement	Mid-to-upper rock in good light and flow, once acclimated.
Temperature	75–82°F (24–28°C).
pH	8.1–8.4.
Specific gravity	1.023–1.026 (reef-standard ≈35 ppt).
Other targets	SPS build a dense stony skeleton and punish parameter swings far harder than LPS — keep alkalinity (≈8–11 dKH), calcium (≈400–450 ppm) and magnesium (≈1300–1400 ppm) rock-stable and test weekly.
Feeding	Mostly photosynthetic; benefits from the general food in a stocked reef.
Growth & spread	Fast for an SPS once settled; easy to frag.
Natural range	Indo-Pacific.

Beginner-friendly, done right. One of the best "first SPS" corals — noticeably hardier and more forgiving than Acropora, with the same reward of fast growth and colour once your parameters are stable. Give it moderate-to-high light and moderately strong, alternating flow, acclimate a new frag to the light slowly, and keep alk/Ca/Mg rock-stable (SPS punish swings). It can suffer the same tissue necrosis (STN/RTN) as other SPS if parameters crash, but it's far more forgiving day-to-day. A great confidence-builder between LPS and Acropora.

Keep those numbers steady. This coral's alkalinity, calcium and magnesium only keep it safe when they're stable. If one reads low, our free reef dosing calculator works out exactly how much to add for your water volume — and splits it safely over days.

Where does it go? Light, flow and placement make or break a coral. Our free coral placement guide shows the PAR, flow and tank zone this coral wants — and what else thrives in the same spot.

The fish store gets these wrong

Common myths, kindly corrected — no shame for having believed them.

"All SPS are hard like Acropora." Stylophora is one of the hardiest SPS — a genuine beginner branching SPS, provided your parameters are stable.
"SPS need to be target-fed." Stylophora is essentially photosynthetic — stable water and good light do the work.

Before you buy

Stable alk/Ca/Mg, tested weekly, BEFORE any SPS.
Moderate-to-high light (acclimate a new frag) and moderately strong flow.
A matured tank — SPS want consistency.

Signs something's wrong

A struggling coral is almost always telling you about light, flow or water — here's what to watch for:

Tissue receding or white skeleton showing (STN) — a parameter swing; frag ahead of it and fix stability.
Pale or brown colour — light not acclimated, or nutrients off.
Polyps not extending — flow, or an early water-quality issue.

Never

Never add SPS before your alk/Ca/Mg are stable and tested weekly.
Never jump a new frag into full light — acclimate.
Never let alkalinity swing.

Common stylophora questions

Is stylophora a good beginner SPS?

Yes — it's one of the hardiest, most forgiving branching SPS, and along with pocillopora it's the classic "first SPS." It gives you the fast growth and colour of an SPS with far more tolerance than Acropora, as long as your alk/Ca/Mg are stable.

How much light and flow does stylophora need?

Moderate to high light (around 300–400 PAR once acclimated) and moderately strong, alternating flow to keep the branches clean. Acclimate a new frag to the light over a couple of weeks.

What's the difference between stylophora and pocillopora?

Both are hardy, beginner-friendly branching SPS. Stylophora ("cat's paw") has stouter, blunter branches; pocillopora is faster-growing and even more adaptable. Either makes a great first SPS.

Does stylophora need special water parameters?

Like all SPS it wants rock-stable alkalinity, calcium and magnesium (test weekly) — stability matters more than any exact number. It's just more forgiving of small mistakes than Acropora.

Can stylophora get RTN/STN?

Yes — like other SPS it can suffer rapid or slow tissue necrosis if parameters crash, but it's far more resistant day-to-day than Acropora. If you see white skeleton appearing, frag ahead of it and fix the underlying stability.

Sources & further reading

This guide was written and fact-checked against these authorities. It's honest, general guidance — not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for an aquatic vet or your own test kit:

Reef Chasers — Stylophora Coral Care — hardy SPS, PAR, flow
Whitlyn Aquatics — Stylophora Coral Care Guide — light, flow, feeding
metareef — Stylophora Coral Care — PAR, flow, growth

Written and fact-checked by The Coralkin Team against marine-aquarist sources — if your stylophora is struggling, it's almost always a light, flow or water-chemistry issue — check those first and ask an experienced reefer. We never guess a care number.

🔬 Review status: team-written and fact-checked against cited sources · not yet reviewed by a marine vet. How we research & fact-check →

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