Plutonium Bounce Mushroom
(Rhodactis sp)
Placement: Bottom
Light: Low to Medium
Flow: Low
Care Level: Easy
Type: Soft Coral
Compatibility: Peaceful
Growth Rate: Moderate
Photosynthetic: Yes
Special Care: Handle with care
Bounce Mushrooms are a unique variation of Rhodactis mushrooms. What sets them apart from a
regular Rhodactis is that they develop very large and brightly coloured polyps that look like bubbles,
thus giving them their “bounce” name. They are almost never found in their “bounce” form in the
wild and divers must collect scores of Rhodactis mushrooms in hopes that a handful will develop the
trademark bubbles. This makes them very rare, and thus often quite expensive. It has been
hypothesized that being brought from the wild into captivity is what makes some Rhodactis “bounce”
but this has not been proven. The Plutonium Bounce Mushroom is one of the rarest and most
sought after of the bounce mushroom varieties. It has a striking purple and green colour pattern and
very large bubbles. They are less likely to split and form “babies” than other types of mushrooms but
it is possible under the right conditions. It is very easy to keep and does not require any special
care.
Bounce Mushrooms begin as regular Rhodactis mushrooms, which are found all over the Indo-
Pacific region. They are found in bays, lagoons, shallow reefs and reef slopes. In a home aquarium
they should be placed at the bottom of the tank where they will be protected from high light and flow.
Bounce Mushrooms prefer lower levels of light and can actually experience scarring if they are
exposed to high levels of light. For this reason, they should be placed near the bottom of the tank.
They also do best in low flow areas, as this will prevent the mushroom from being blown around
excessively. Too much flow can even cause them to detach and be sucked into a powerhead.
Bounce Mushrooms are photosynthetic and use aquarium lighting to meet their energy needs.
However, due to their beauty, rarity and expense many hobbyists will carefully feed them as well.
They can be fed microplankton or other solutions designed for filter feeders. Bounce Mushrooms do
not reproduce as readily as some other mushroom species, but can be propagated by carefully
cutting a piece from a larger specimen. This should be done carefully and success is not
guaranteed. When handling the coral it is very important to not damage the inflated polyps.
The Plutonium Bounce Mushroom is truly a one