Bleeding Apple
A variant of Acanthophyllia (Meat Coral) (Acanthophyllia deshayesiana)
Representative Acanthophyllia (Meat Coral)photo — a dedicated image of this exact morph isn't available yet.
A deep blood-red to apple-red fleshy polyp, often with a brighter red or pink center that gives the 'bleeding' look. The name is carried over from the red Scolymia/scoly trade, since this coral was long sold as an Indo-Pacific scoly.
📜 Backstory
'Bleeding Apple' is best known as a red Scolymia trade name, but it is also applied to red Acanthophyllia — for example, reef-aquarium-store.com lists an 'Acanthophyllia Bleeding Apple' distinct from its Scolymia listing. The carryover makes sense: this species was sold for years as an Indo-Pacific 'scolymia' before being officially recognized as Acanthophyllia deshayesiana (Reef Builders reported the formal recognition in June 2009). The name describes a red color pattern, not a single cloned lineage; the lineage of any piece is a wild colony.
Keeper tips for this variant
Keep light low and flow gentle; reds intensify under bluer/lower light, and strong white light will bleach the apple coloration. Weekly target feeding.