Yellow Toadstool Leather - Sarcophyton elegans - Large

Sarcophyton elegans is often referred to as the Yellow Leather Coral, Yellow Toadstool Leather, Ruffled Leather Coral and variations thereof. It is very distinctive and has a yellow color ranging from pale beige to vivid banana-yellow. These corals have a short "trunk" supporting a mushroom-shaped cap with ruffled edges. Polyps extend periodically from this cap.

Sarcophyton elegans is one of the most notoriously difficult leather corals, especially when compared to its near-bulletproof kin. They are sensitive to acclimation and transportation and tend to become stressed fairly easily. They also do not handle disease, damage or propagation as well as other leathers.

These corals may benefit from occasional feedings in the aquarium but survive mostly on photosynthesis from the zooxanthallae algae living in their tissues. They should be kept in a tank with moderate to high lighting. Water movement should also be moderately strong to assist in waste removal and in the coral's periodic shedding of a mucus layer. These corals have low to moderate aggression and can easily fall victim to other aggressive corals. They also benefit from trace element supplements, particularly iodine which can assist in growth and in shedding.