Palythoa Mutuki

Palythoa mutuki is common on the shallow reefs of the Indo-Pacific and is one of the Palythoa species most often found in the aquarium trade. Its polyps are large and its oral discs broad; the color is mostly brown, olive green or greenish, sometimes with a lighter area around the mouth. Because the tissue of the polyp stalks contains sand grains, the stalks are firm and leathery. In the trade it is often sold not under its species name but as "button polyp" or brown paly.

Palytoxin warning: Some analyses of this species found only trace amounts of palytoxin; nevertheless, because there can be large differences from colony to colony and species are easily confused, it should be considered toxic. Use gloves and eye protection, do not touch it with cuts on your hands, and do not put rock with colonies in boiling water or scrub it out of the water. At any sign of poisoning, see a doctor (in Türkiye, the National Poison Information Center: 114).

In the Indo-Pacific it lives in dense colonies on sunlit rocks and reef flats from the intertidal zone down to a few meters deep. It tolerates coastal environments with strong wave action and heavy sediment loads.

• Light: It adapts to a wide range from low to strong; moderate light (about 100–200 PAR) is ideal.
• Flow: Moderate, random flow.
• Placement: The middle or lower-middle zone of the rockwork; keeping it on its own rock makes it easier to control its spread.
• Water parameters: Salinity 1.024–1.026; KH 7–11 dKH, calcium 400–450 mg/L, magnesium 1250–1350 mg/L. It is quite tolerant of nutrients and water fluctuations.
• Volume: It can be kept even in small reef aquariums of 50 liters.

It photosynthesizes, but its polyps eagerly catch food. Feeding fine zooplankton, mysis or chopped shrimp 1–2 times a week speeds up growth.

It does not sting its neighbors; it slowly spreads to cover the bare rock surface around it and can creep in at the base of slow-growing corals. Leave 5–10 cm of clear space from other corals. Stinging LPS corals and anemones burn the polyps. Some angelfish and butterflyfish may eat the polyps.

Polyps are cut from the base singly or in small groups and glued to frag plugs. Do the cutting under water, with gloves and eye protection; rinse the tools you used with plenty of water afterward. The colony also expands on its own by putting out new polyps.

• Polyps closed: Pests, fish picking at them or sudden changes; check between the polyps with a magnifying glass.
• Excessive spreading: If the colony reaches unwanted places, remove it together with the piece of rock, under water; do not scrape it off out of the water.
• Color fading: Very strong light or overly stripped water.