Dendrophyllia (Branching Sun Coral)

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Orange Sun (Branching Dendro) →

The classic and most common form: a branching colony of fat, fleshy polyps with bright pumpkin-orange tentacles radiating from an orange skeletal base. Polyps extend fully when feeding and give the colony a glowing, sunburst look.

Tip: This is a non-photosynthetic (azooxanthellate) coral, so it is genuinely demanding: it must be target-fed meaty foods (mysis, small chopped seafood) frequently — ideally several times a week — to survive long-term. Place it in low light and moderate, indirect flow on a shaded ledge or overhang you can easily reach with a turkey baster, and feed every polyp.

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Yellow Sun (Branching Dendro) →

A branching Dendrophyllia whose polyps open with soft lemon-to-canary yellow tentacles over a paler base, giving a brighter, more golden look than the orange form. Often sold simply as 'Yellow Sun Coral' or 'Yellow Branched Dendrophyllia.'

Tip: Like all sun corals, keep it in dim light with gentle-to-moderate flow and target-feed every polyp meaty foods (mysis, small chopped seafood) several times a week; a low, accessible rock spot makes spot-feeding the whole colony easier. Starved heads recede quickly, so consistency matters.

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Red Sun Coral (Branching Dendro) →

A branching Dendrophyllia with reddish-orange to red polyp coloration, deeper and warmer than the standard orange sun. Sold as multi-polyp branching colonies that show off the rich red tentacles when fully expanded.

Tip: Keep light dim and flow moderate, and feed heavily — branching reds can be large colonies, so plan to target-feed each polyp meaty foods on a regular schedule rather than relying on broadcast feeding. As with all non-photosynthetic suns, under-fed heads decline fast.

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Australian Fat Head Dendrophyllia →

An especially large-polyped 'fat head' Dendrophyllia from Australian stock, with oversized, plump polyps showing bright yellow-to-orange tentacles over an orange base. The big, meaty heads make it one of the most sought-after sun corals in the hobby.

Tip: It demands nearly constant feeding in large volumes — feed the big polyps generously and often (several times a week, ideally more); pair that with shaded, low-light placement and gentle-to-moderate flow so food settles on the heads rather than being blown off.