Weeping Willow Toadstool
A variant of Toadstool leather coral (Sarcophyton sp.)
Representative Toadstool leather coralphoto — a dedicated image of this exact morph isn't available yet.
A long-polyp *Sarcophyton* whose supple polyp stalks can grow several inches and droop over the cap when flow stops, giving the unmistakable 'weeping willow' silhouette; the body is typically a pinkish-brown.
📜 Backstory
The Weeping Willow legend traces to aquarist Jake Adams, who shared his long-polyp toadstool with the hobby from around 2001 and submitted an iconic photo to MASNA in 2004 (per Reef Builders), possibly *Sarcophyton ehrenbergi*. Per Reef Builders, the original colony perished and the few fragments Adams gave out are untraced, so corals sold today as 'Weeping Willow' (by vendors such as The Reef Farm, BIOTA and Top Shelf Aquatics) are long-polyp toadstools carrying the name rather than confirmed descendants of the original. Soft-coral taxonomy here is uncertain, so the species ID is debated.
Keeper tips for this variant
To develop the signature long polyps it wants strong, randomized alternating flow and good light; keepers have famously grown it like an SPS coral with high light, high flow and clean water.