Soft, LPS and SPS: Useful Labels, Limited Rules
Soft coral, LPS and SPS are convenient aquarium labels. They can help start a conversation, but they are a poor substitute for knowing which animal you actually have.
What the labels mean
Stony corals build hard calcium-carbonate skeletons. LPS and SPS are informal hobby shorthand for large-polyp and small-polyp stony corals, rather than formal taxonomic groups. Soft corals have different supporting structures and are not simply stony corals with softer-looking tissue.
What the labels cannot tell you
A group label does not supply a universal flow setting, light level, feeding requirement or compatibility guarantee. Species, collection or culture history, colony form and the conditions in the particular aquarium all matter.
A better starting checklist
- Keep the scientific or best-supported common name with the purchase record.
- Ask about the coral's previous light and flow.
- Make room for growth and interactions with neighbors.
- Look up information for that animal before changing care.
Photo tip
Show both the overall growth form and close tissue details when asking for an identification. Avoid exposing or damaging a skeleton to force a match.
Join the discussion
Which coral group did you start with?
Sources and further reading
Source: Original Verdant guide