Why is my Australian Scoly losing its bright colours?

Loss of colour, known as bleaching, is usually caused by excessive lighting intensity or sudden swings in temperature and alkalinity. Move the coral to a more shaded area of the tank and ensure your water parameters are highly stable.

Can I place my Scoly on the rockwork instead of the sand?

It is not recommended. The tissue of a Scoly is incredibly fleshy when expanded and easily tears against jagged rocks, which often leads to lethal bacterial infections. They naturally live on the sandy substrate or smooth rubble.

How often should I feed my Australian Scoly?

Target feeding 1 to 2 times a week with appropriately sized meaty foods like mysis shrimp or LPS pellets is ideal. Turn off the flow temporarily so the coral has time to move the food to its central mouth without it blowing away.

Why is the white skeleton showing through the edge of my coral?

This is known as tissue recession. It usually indicates poor water quality, incorrect alkalinity levels, inadequate feeding, or that the flow is too strong and is stripping the flesh from the skeleton. Immediate parameter testing is required.

Is it normal for my Scoly to shrink at night?

Yes, it is entirely normal for them to deflate their large mantle at night and extend small, clear feeding tentacles along their perimeter to capture zooplankton.

A highly fluorescent Homophyllia australis showing vibrant bleeding apple colouration — AI-generated illustration for OneShoal

MarineCoralsIntermediate

Australian Scoly

Homophyllia australis

A highly prized and strikingly colourful solitary LPS coral that serves as a spectacular bottom-dwelling centrepiece for mature reef aquariums.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 26 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Hardness: 8 – 12 dGH
Salinity: 1.024 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 5 – 8 cm
Nano reef: 40 litres+
Lifespan: 10 – 30 years
Diet: Primarily photosynthetic, but benefits greatly from targeted feeding of meaty marine foods such as enriched mysis shrimp and specialised LPS pellets.
Water flow: Low to moderate flow to prevent detritus settling without blowing the delicate fleshy mantle against its skeleton.
Preferred setup: Stable reef conditions with mature biological filtration. Hardness (8-12 dKH) must be maintained to support skeletal growth.

About the Australian Scoly

The Australian Scoly, scientifically known as Homophyllia australis, is one of the most highly sought-after Large Polyp Stony (LPS) corals in the marine hobby. Renowned for its spectacular array of vivid, almost psychedelic colours and striking patterns, this single-polyp coral adds a brilliant focal point to any reef aquarium. Once categorised under the genus Scolymia, taxonomists have recently reclassified it to Homophyllia, though it remains widely traded under its former moniker. As a relatively slow-growing, ground-dwelling species, it provides incredible aesthetic value without aggressively overtaking the tank.

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Is it right for your tank?

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Where Australian Scoly comes from

Native range

Coral Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Oceania

Countries / regions

Australia

Habitat

Lower, sheltered reef slopes, rubble zones, and sandy drop-offs where light and flow are subdued.

Most specimens in the trade are legally and sustainably collected from designated zones in Australia.

Similar species

Acanthophyllia
Acanthophyllia deshayesiana
Cynarina Coral
Cynarina lacrymalis
Trachyphyllia Brain Coral
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

View all compatibility

Ocellaris Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Peaceful, reef-safe fish that will largely ignore the coral and swim in the mid-to-upper water column.
Great
Royal Gramma
Gramma loreto
A colourful and peaceful reef inhabitant that does not nip at fleshy LPS corals.
Great
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
While generally safe, they can be notorious for reaching into the coral's mouth to steal food during targeted feeding sessions.
Compatible with caution
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Centropyge bispinosa
Dwarf angelfish may occasionally develop a taste for the fleshy mantles of LPS corals like Scolys.
Compatible with caution
Copperband Butterflyfish
Chelmon rostratus
Butterflyfish are highly prone to picking at and consuming large fleshy polyps, which will severely damage or kill the coral.
Not recommended

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