Button scolys, what are they?

SauceyReef · Mar 25, 2021

WOW I had no idea there were beautiful mini scoly's until this week. These are so cool!! So they won't get to big? I have a nano that has a big scoly in it and it's growing like a beast. Maybe time to trade it in for a button? So even with heavy feeding they won't get to big? Do they split?

jassermd · Mar 26, 2021

I have 6 of them in my DT. They are super cool and act/feed similar to the larger scolys I have... Here are some pics under blues...
They are quite beautiful and I haven't seen much in the way of aggression, but then again, they have good clearance from other corals. A couple of mine have 2 heads... The last pic is one of the minis next to a bigger brethren.

SauceyReef · Mar 27, 2021

They look like little hybrids of acans/scolys. Has anyone here tried putting a normal scoly close to the button ones? With lack of long sweeper tentacles I don't understand how a scoly would be to threatening

Vness · May 31, 2022

So glad that I found this thread. I have been nursing a pretty cool “hitchiker” that came on my LR I ordered about a year ago. I noticed this when it was the size of a peppercorn about 6 months ago. It wasn't until I upgraded my light that it all of a sudden is quite literally showing its true colors. Pretty sure this is a button scoly. There's no feathery edge tentacles and now is bigger than some of my zoa polyps.

SauceyReef · May 31, 2022

Vness said:
So glad that I found this thread. I have been nursing a pretty cool “hitchiker” that came on my LR I ordered about a year ago. I noticed this when it was the size of a peppercorn about 6 months ago. It wasn't until I upgraded my light that it all of a sudden is quite literally showing its true colors. Pretty sure this is a button scoly. There's no feathery edge tentacles and now is bigger than some of my zoa polyps.

PHOTO!! :-)

WhitePanther93 · Jun 26, 2022

wrong window

thamnasteroid · Jul 13, 2022

Button scoliosis are actually a species of micromussa called micromussa pacifica.

SauceyReef · Jul 13, 2022

encrustingacro said:
Button scoliosis are actually a species of micromussa called micromussa pacifica.

So button scolys are not related to scolys at all? Or both button and normal sized scolys got changed to micromussa Pacifica. I ask because I thought I heard someone say a scoly is no longer the correct term.

OP still waiting for a photo muhahaha

thamnasteroid · Jul 13, 2022

SauceyReef said:
So button scolys are not related to scolys at all? Or both button and normal sized scolys got changed to micromussa Pacifica. I ask because I thought I heard someone say a scoly is no longer the correct term.

OP still waiting for a photo muhahaha

Button scolies are micromussa pacifica, regular scolies are homophyllia australis. They are related as they are both in the same family: lobophylliidae.

SauceyReef · Nov 19, 2023

I picked up my first button Scoly at one of our frag swaps. The more I look at them they seem like mini trachys that never get to large as opposed to mini scolys (I guess both look similar). I have it right next to acans I’ll update if they start fighting.

SamGamOcean333 · Feb 26, 2025

Just wanted to give an update on the Button Scoly after a couple years. BTW I am Saucey Reef above ^

From my experience they are quite sensitive to other corals being
around them. Reminds of me like a mean weird kid with little man’s syndrome haha. They don’t want anything by them, but lose the fight against most corals. I have not found a single coral they can really be right next to long term. They either start dying, or start stinging. My blue/green one lost most of its green over time. I’ve been trying to sell it the past few months but it seems the hype for these is fading big time compared to 5 years ago.

Funny, I just snagged another dying one at a swap for $20! Couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Im learning there are actually multiple button scolys from different areas of the world - to make it even more complex! Croc Island buttons, and Aussie buttons so far. I assume there may be even more as well.

kimts · Aug 19, 2025

SamGamOcean333 said:
Just wanted to give an update on the Button Scoly after a couple years. BTW I am Saucey Reef above ^

From my experience they are quite sensitive to other corals being
around them. Reminds of me like a mean weird kid with little man’s syndrome haha. They don’t want anything by them, but lose the fight against most corals. I have not found a single coral they can really be right next to long term. They either start dying, or start stinging. My blue/green one lost most of its green over time. I’ve been trying to sell it the past few months but it seems the hype for these is fading big time compared to 5 years ago.

Funny, I just snagged another dying one at a swap for $20! Couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Im learning there are actually multiple button scolys from different areas of the world - to make it even more complex! Croc Island buttons, and Aussie buttons so far. I assume there may be even more as well.

Where do they like to be in the tank? I picked one up this weekend, and he's in the sandbed, but not puffing up yet like he should be.