Duncan Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)

The Duncan Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga), also called the Whisker Coral, is one of the best LPS corals you can pick for a first reef tank and a favorite of seasoned collectors too. Each fleshy polyp opens into a disc of flowing tentacles over a vivid green to teal center, and healthy colonies sway gently in the current all day long. Duncans are peaceful, forgiving, and quick to sprout new heads, so a single polyp genuinely grows into a colony over time. Browse the rest of our live coral selection to build out your reef.

Size Options

• Single Head: one healthy polyp, the classic starter frag.
• Double Head: two polyps on one base, already on its way to colony shape.
• Mini Colony: a cluster of several heads with real presence in the tank.
• Colony (10+): ten or more heads, an instant centerpiece.

Care Guide

• Lighting: moderate. Duncans do well anywhere from 50 to 150 PAR and adapt to most reef lighting. Acclimate slowly if your tank runs bright.
• Flow: low to moderate. Enough movement to keep detritus off the polyps, gentle enough that the tentacles can stay extended.
• Placement: lower rockwork or the sand bed. Leave a little room around the colony, the polyps expand much larger than the skeleton suggests.
• Water parameters: 75 to 80°F, salinity 1.024 to 1.026, pH 8.1 to 8.4, alkalinity 8 to 11 dKH, calcium 400 to 450 ppm, magnesium 1250 to 1350 ppm. Stability matters more than exact numbers.
• Feeding: photosynthetic, but target feeding once or twice a week speeds up growth noticeably. Duncans eagerly take Reef Roids, LPS pellets, and meaty frozen foods like mysis shrimp.
• Growth: fast for an LPS. New heads bud from the base and sides, and a well fed frag can double its head count in a year.

Specifications

Compatibility

Duncans are model citizens on a reef. Their tentacles carry only a mild sting and they do not send out long sweepers, so they can sit closer to neighbors than most LPS. Still, give the colony a few inches of clearance from aggressive corals like torches and hammers, which will win any border dispute. Reef-safe fish and inverts ignore them, though a clownfish without an anemone may occasionally try to host in the polyps, which most Duncans tolerate but do not love.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• PolypLab Reef Roids, the classic target food for hungry LPS
• Vitalis LPS Coral Soft Pellets, sized perfectly for Duncan mouths
• Red Sea Reef Energy AB+, an easy broadcast feed for the whole reef
• CoralRx One-Shot Coral Dip for a quick dip before any new coral goes in the tank
• Everything else in our saltwater department

FAQ

Do I have to feed my Duncan Coral?
No, its zooxanthellae produce most of what it needs under reef lighting. Feeding once or twice a week is optional but clearly speeds up budding and head growth.

Why are the tentacles retracted?
New arrivals often stay closed for a few days while they settle. Persistent retraction usually points to flow that is too strong, a recent parameter swing, or a fish picking at the polyps.

Will a single head really turn into a colony?
Yes. Healthy Duncans bud new heads from the base and stalk, and with regular feeding a single polyp can become a small cluster within a year.

Is a Duncan safe with my other corals?
Yes, it is one of the least aggressive LPS. Just keep it out of reach of long-sweeper corals like galaxea, torches, and hammers.