Indo-Pacific - Islands of the Indopacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Medium to high lighting would serve this species well. Lobophytum can be kept under high output fluorescent bulbs, but may benefit from more intense lighting. It will likely change its coloration depending on the lighting provided. Lobophytum may require a longer acclimation period to intense lighting such as metal halides.

Moderate water movement is recommended.

Lobophytum relies heavily on the products of their zooxanthellae but also may feed on phytoplankton and similarly sized microfauna in the water column.

Leather corals of the genus Lobophytum are generally hardy and make excellent additions to a beginner or advanced reef aquarium. They are fast growers and can quickly turn into a the showpeice of the tank.

Lobophytum will periodically retract its polyps and form a waxy film. This shrunken state may last a couple weeks before the film is shed and the polyps reextend. We believe this shedding is a healthy process that Lobophytum employ to prevent nuisance algae from growing on it. This process can be aided by greater circulation around the coral.

It has been shown that these soft corals release toxins that may damage more sensitive stony corals. This by no means excludes the possibility of a mixed reef, but it is important to know that a reef full of Lobophytum may inhibit the full growth rate of some stony corals in the aquarium. A balanced stocking scheme and judicious placement of the various colonies will help as will the use of chemical filtration. The most toxic soft corals come from the Genus Sarcophyton, Lobophytum, and Lemnalia. Members of the Genus Cladiella, Sinularia, Nephthea, and Cespitularia are variably toxic while Anthelia and Capnella are rarely highly toxic.

This genus for the most part has been propagated extensively in captivity and is an excellent candidate for aquaculture. It is reasonable to believe that a sustainable harvest can be achieved in time.