Ponape Birdsnest
A variant of Birdsnest coral (Seriatopora hystrix)
Representative Birdsnest coralphoto — a dedicated image of this exact morph isn't available yet.
A compact, bushy birdsnest with short thin branches that are light tan-green tipped in bright pink, with pronounced bumpy corallites. One of the most recognizable and widely traded birdsnests in the hobby.
📜 Backstory
Named for Pohnpei (Ponape), Micronesia, where the original strain is said to have been collected. It has been an iconic Seriatopora in the American hobby since the early 2000s and is now mass-aquacultured by ORA, which lists it in its Seriatopora lineup; it is also stocked by AlgaeBarn, Aquarium Specialty and many others. It is so widely propagated that the lineage of any given frag is essentially generic today.
Keeper tips for this variant
Give it moderate light and moderate-to-strong, somewhat turbulent flow to keep detritus from settling in the dense branch cluster; slightly lower light helps the green base color stay rich rather than bleaching pale. Like all SPS, it wants stable calcium and alkalinity.