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. Oulophyllia 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. Oulophyllia may require a longer acclimation period to intense lighting such as metal halides.

Moderate water movement is recommended.

Oulophyllia relies heavily on the products of their zooxanthellae. This coral may benefit from the addition of phytoplankton as a food source. While the coral itself may consume some phytoplankton, the real benefit is the increased population of rotifers that feed on the phytoplankton. Rotifers make a good meal to a vast array of corals. If phytoplankton is not readily available, you may attempt to feed the coral finely ground meaty foods. The food should almost have a paste-like consistency before being administered.

Members of the genus Oulophyllia are generally hardy and easy to keep. They can exist in a wide variety of tank conditions, and are fairly common in the reef trade. They come in a variety of colors, the most common being green or brownish green. This coral is a good candidate for beginners getting into stony corals.

Oulophyllia are one of the corals that extends long sweeper tentacles. Sweeper tentacles are often used as a means of defense against other encroaching coral colonies. Their white tips contain a concentration of nematcysts that can damage more delicate tank mates. Most of the time, this is not a major problem but to be safe, we recommend placing it in a location far from other corals initially.

In terms of propagation, this genus has been successfully fragmented however asexual reproduction in this way is a slow process. While efforts to aquaculture Oulophyllia are to be praised, it has yet to be shown that they can be propagated cost effectively. Perhaps in time new methods of propagation or even sexual reproduction will be available. For now however, it is unlikely that they are a sustainable harvest in captivity.