Zoanthids
Zoanthus sp. · also called Zoas, Zoanthid polyps, Button polyps, Sea mats, Colony anemones
Zoanthids are colonial soft-bodied polyps prized for an almost unlimited range of fluorescent color morphs, making them one of the most popular beginner reef corals. They are hardy and fast-spreading, but their flesh contains palytoxin, a potent toxin demanding careful handling.
🩺 Need expert help with your zoanthids?
Connect with a specialist near you or ask a licensed vet — never substitute online guidance for hands-on care in an emergency.
Quick facts
| Size | Individual polyps ~0.25-0.75 in (6-20 mm) across; colonies spread into mats of dozens to hundreds of polyps over rock. |
| Lifespan | 10–50 years |
| Social needs | group |
| Native region | Tropical reefs worldwide (Indo-Pacific and Caribbean) |
| Origin | Worldwide |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| Water type | 🌊 Marine |
| Family | Zoanthidae |
| Genus | Zoanthus |
Part of the Zoanthids
Zoanthids and palythoas are colonial reef polyps (order Zoantharia) famous for an endless palette of fluorescent color morphs and easy, fast-spreading growth. Hardy and beginner-friendly, they nonetheless carry palytoxin in their tissue and must be handled with gloves and care.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
representativeEagle Eye →
An orange-to-red face with a darker purple center and outer ring, ringed by bright green tentacles that give it a striking 'eye' appearance. A foundational named zoa.
Tip: Very forgiving — low-to-moderate light and gentle flow on a lower rock; a great starter zoa for new reefers.
representativeFire & Ice
Popular morph pairing fiery orange/red rings against icy blue-green centers; hardy and fast-growing.
Tip: Fast grower that will overrun neighbors — give it an isolated frag rock or a flow channel margin so it doesn't sting adjacent corals as the colony spreads.
representativeRasta →
A classic three-tone morph with concentric rings of green, yellow/gold, and a red-to-orange skirt — the Rastafari color scheme that gives it its name. One of the most recognizable and widely traded zoas in the hobby.
Tip: Place in low-to-moderate light and gentle flow on the lower third of the tank; it colors up best under moderate PAR (around 100-150) rather than blasting light.
representativeSunny D / Orange →
Solid bright-orange to tangerine polyps, a cheerful, fast-spreading and forgiving morph popular with new reefers.
Tip: Orange morphs can fade under low light — keep them mid-tank with steady moderate PAR and they'll stay saturated and multiply quickly.
representativeBlue Hornet →
A sought-after deepwater zoa with a light blue center, a green ring, and a dark blue outer disc, with a two-layer fringe (dark blue base, neon green top).
Tip: Blue-spectrum light at moderate PAR maximizes the blue tones; low-to-mid placement with gentle flow.
representativeRainbow Incinerator →
A famous Zoanthus morph with a fiery orange-to-red center, a deep purple/violet ring, and a bright green skirt, named for its blazing rainbow color spread.
Tip: Hardy under low-to-moderate light and gentle flow; place low-to-mid and it colors up without high PAR. Always wear gloves and eye protection when handling zoas/palys.
representativeUtter Chaos →
Large dark polyps covered in a busy pattern of fluorescent orange speckles and blotches, with white speckling around the mouth and neon orange rings on the tentacles. The chaotic splatter pattern is its hallmark.
Tip: Moderate light and low-to-moderate flow; like most zoas it keeps color best when not overlit, so favor a mid-tank rock placement.
representativeFruit Loops →
Vivid concentric rings of neon orange, yellow, and green that resemble the cereal, with bright orange skirts surrounding a face of purple and green. A cheerful, easy-to-grow morph.
Tip: Moderate light brings out the neon rings; keep flow gentle to moderate and give it room to spread on a flat rock.
representativeSunny D →
A bright metallic orange face with a yellow-and-gold highlighted skirt and a vivid green mouth. Glowing and high-contrast among the warm-toned zoas.
Tip: Give it moderate light to keep the orange/yellow saturated; low-to-moderate flow on the mid-to-lower rockwork.
representativeWWC Bowsers →
A bold zoa with a spiky orange/yellow skirt and dark contrasting body, named after the Mario villain for its menacing fiery look.
Tip: Moderate light and flow, low-to-mid in the tank; warm-colored zoas hold pigment better without excessive PAR.
representativeMagicians →
A zoa (Zoanthus) with a deep purple-to-maroon outer disc, a contrasting red/orange body, and a shimmering blue-teal metallic center near the mouth.
Tip: Blue-heavy lighting at moderate PAR makes the teal center and purple disc fluoresce; keep low-to-mid with gentle flow. One of the easier zoas to grow.
representativeArmageddon →
A dramatic dark morph — typically a purple-mouthed, mottled deep-purple face with a matching skirt. The blue-faced 'Frozen Armageddon' and related variants are sought-after color forms. A collector zoa.
Tip: Like most zoas it is hardy and easy; color up best under stable, moderate light and gentle flow. Dip and quarantine before adding, as expensive zoas are worth protecting.
representativeGorilla Nipple →
A paly with a green skirt, orange/red ring and prominent pink raised mouth, named for its distinctive protruding center.
Tip: Moderate light and flow; the contrasting mouth shows best low-to-mid in the display. Wear gloves with palys.
Daisy Cutter →
A zoa with a bright green skirt, vibrant orange-red center and a neon green or yellow mouth, also known as the JF (Jason Fox) Star Gazer.
Tip: Moderate light (PAR ~80-200) with actinic blue enhances color; give room to spread as it grows quickly. Wear gloves and eye protection.
representativeTubbs Blue →
A blue-bodied Zoanthus (often listed as Zoanthus danae) prized for its intense blue-violet oral disc encircled by reddish-brown tentacles. One of the older, most recognizable blue morphs.
Tip: Blue coloration holds best under bluer/actinic-leaning light; moderate flow and a mid-tank placement suit it well.
representativeMagician →
Known for an incredible electric-blue sparkle pattern at the center of the face, set against a darker body and contrasting skirt. The blue sparkle is the signature feature.
Tip: Blue pigment shows best under bluer/actinic-leaning light; keep flow gentle and avoid burying it in shadow.
representativeGobstopper →
A candy-like multicolor morph; the popular 'Everlasting Gobstopper' form shows a neon pink-to-magenta body, a vivid green mouth, and dark indigo eyelashes. Hardy and popular with collectors.
Tip: Forgiving under moderate light and gentle flow; many reefers note Gobstoppers grow and thrive reliably, making them a solid mid-tier collector piece.
representativeBlow Pop →
A candy-themed morph (also listed as 'Blowpop') with a steely blue-to-purple face, an orange mouth/center, and contrasting skirt. A recognizable named zoa.
Tip: Moderate light and gentle flow on the lower-to-mid rockwork keeps the colors vivid.
representativePink Zipper →
A bright pink and dark purple face peppered with glowing pink sparkles, with a small teal-blue bar on the skirts. The sparkly pink face is its hallmark.
Tip: Pink and teal pigments hold best under moderate, slightly blue-leaning light; keep flow gentle so the polyps open fully.
representativeKrakatoa →
A fiery red-orange morph with a contrasting center, named for the volcano. Derivative lines like 'Queen Krakatoa,' 'Speckled Krakatoa,' and 'Grand Master Krakatoa' are among the most prized zoas in the hobby.
Tip: Reds hold best under moderate light without being overexposed; stable parameters and gentle flow keep the fiery skirt saturated.
representativeSpeckled Krakatoa →
A Krakatoa-lineage morph with a speckled, multicolor face — one of the most prized and elusive zoas among collectors. The speckled face distinguishes it from a standard Krakatoa.
Tip: A prized collector piece — keep it under stable moderate light and gentle flow, and dip/quarantine before adding to protect the investment.
representativeGrand Master Krakatoa (GMK) →
A premium Krakatoa-lineage morph (Grand Master Krakatoa, GMK) with intense, layered fiery coloration spanning nearly the full rainbow. Often called the 'Holy Grail' of zoanthids and a notoriously slow grower, which adds to its exclusivity.
Tip: A patience piece — give it a stable, undisturbed spot with moderate light and gentle flow. It is hardy like other zoas but grows slowly, so don't expect to rush it with extra light or flow.
representativeWhammin Watermelon →
A watermelon-toned morph with green and pink/red coloration evoking the fruit, popping especially under actinic light. Bright and easy to grow.
Tip: Moderate light and gentle-to-moderate flow on the mid rockwork; gives a nice color pop next to orange/yellow morphs.
representativeBam Bam →
A classic orange-skirted morph (often 'Bam Bam Orange' or 'Fiji Bam Bam') with intense orange fluorescence and an inner purple/blue ring. A long-time hobby staple.
Tip: Very hardy and fast-growing — low-to-moderate light (PAR ~100-250) and moderate flow on a lower rock; a good gateway zoa for beginners.
representativeDaisy Duke →
A bright, contrasting button-polyp morph, technically a Palythoa ('Daisy Duke's Palys') though traded and catalogued alongside zoanthids. Typically a vivid face with a bold skirt.
Tip: Moderate light and gentle flow; place where you can see the face color. As a Palythoa it can carry palytoxin, so handle with gloves and care.
representativeKing Midas →
A golden-yellow morph living up to its name, with a metallic gold center and skirt offset by a blue/purple outer ring. Bright and eye-catching among yellow zoas.
Tip: Yellow/gold pigment stays brightest under moderate light; gentle flow and a lower-to-mid placement work well.
representativeMy Clementine →
A small-polyped morph with a deep indigo base and a bright orange center and skirt — a high-contrast orange-on-indigo morph (often 'My Clementines').
Tip: The indigo base holds better when not overlit; moderate light and gentle flow let the orange center glow.
representativeGoblins on Fire →
A high-contrast morph with a bright green center and a purple outer rim that runs up the lashes, terminating in neon orange — a blazing 'on fire' look. Popular and frequently restocked.
Tip: Moderate light keeps the green and fiery orange saturated; gentle flow and a mid-tank rock placement suit it.
representativePink Diamonds →
Bright pink-faced polyps with a fluorescent yellow skirt and green accents, giving a jewel-like contrast. Listed by vendors as 'Pink Diamond(s).'
Tip: Pink and yellow pop best under moderate, slightly blue light; gentle flow and a clear, visible placement.
representativeLunar Eclipse →
A dark, moody morph with a fluorescent red/blue face and a lighter blue core glowing against a near-black body — named for the eclipse look. A striking dark zoa.
Tip: Dark-bodied morphs hold contrast best when not overlit; moderate light and gentle flow on the mid-tank rockwork.
representativeBob Marley →
A purple-centered, green-bodied morph with a signature orange ring and purple skirt — a 'Rasta-adjacent' piece in the Rastafari color family, named after the reggae legend. Hardy and widely grown.
Tip: Low-to-moderate light and gentle flow; a forgiving, small-to-medium-polyped morph good for filling in a zoa garden.
representativeWildflower →
A multicolor morph with a busy, varied face pattern that earns the 'wildflower' name. Sold as a WWC-named aquacultured line.
Tip: Moderate light and gentle flow; give it space to colony up so the varied faces show against each other.
representativeArmor of God (AOG) →
A bold morph, typically bright pink with dark black/blue variegation and sometimes a dark blue center, hence 'Armor of God.' Described as hardy and a good grower.
Tip: The pink and dark contrast hold well under moderate light; medium light and flow — it grows well, so give it room to spread.
representativeUtter Chaos / Designer morphs
Line-named and aquacultured designer color forms selected and propagated in the frag trade for unique multicolor patterning and high market value.
Tip: Designer morphs hold color only within a specific light/flow window — quarantine and dip every frag for zoa-eating nudibranchs and spiders before adding to the display.
representativeUtter Chaos (named line) →
A specific iconic designer line: purple-pink skirts with red mouths and green discs, one of the morphs that started the zoa-naming craze.
Tip: Grows reliably for a designer zoa but stays compact — give it dedicated frag-plug real estate so the named line stays pure and isn't overgrown by faster neighbors.