Wild Indo Acanthophyllia and Trachyphyllia now ALLOWED into the UK
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has just formed a UK positive opinion for wild Acanthophyllia deshayesiana and Trachyphyllia geoffroyi from Indonesia, which is a change from the long-standing EU negative opinions in place since 2014.
Up until 2025, the UK had not received any import applications for Acanthophyllia deshayesiana since 2021. The JNCC told Reefkeeping News last year that there were no recent assessments for the import of the species, and therefore any new import applications received would have to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
As of February 2026, that has all changed, with import applications for wild indonesian Acanthophyllia being approved following recent assessments, as well as wild Trachyphyllia geoffroyi.
The JNCC made the following statement:
“We have just formed a UK positive opinion for Acanthophyllia deshayesiana and Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (W) from Indonesia – which is a change from the long-standing EU negative opinions (in place since about 2014).”
“As a result, three import applications were approved for issuance in February for Acanthophyllia deshayesiana from Indonesia (source W). No other applications have been approved for that species.”
“The recently formed positive opinions for Acanthophyllia deshayesiana and Trachyphyllia geoffroyi only apply to wild-sourced (source W) corals from Indonesia. Our non-detriment findings (NDFs) consist of thorough assessments that take into account a wide range of factors, including the species biology and distribution, conservation status, trade trends and local management.”
“For both species our assessments concluded that we are able to form a positive opinion for wild-sourced specimens based on the species distribution and abundance in Indonesia, the overall extent and condition of Indonesian reef habitats, the significant reduction in the published quota, and the relative resilience to the effects of harvest and climate change afforded by their deeper water habitats, among other factors.”
Wild collected, maricultured, or ex-situ captive spawned?
“Regarding breeding in captivity or aquaculture, we have only seen the import of a few specimens of source F Trachyphyllia geoffroyi from Indonesia, with the last import having taken place nearly ten years ago in 2017. The UK has not imported source C or F Acanthophyllia deshayesiana from Indonesia.”
No, to Australian Acanthos
In July 2025, the JNCC went the opposite way and formed a negative opinion on the wild collection of Acanthophyllia deshayesiana from Australia, following a comprehensive non-detriment analysis.
About Acanthophyllia deshayesiana
The Acanthophyllia genus was first erected by Wells in 1937, with Acanthophyllia deshayesiana being described by Michelin in 1850. There are two species within the Acanthophyllia genus – A.ampla and A.deshayesiana, and they belong to the family Lobophylliidae.
They are solitary corals with a cone-shaped or pointed base and inhabit deep, soft substrates. They originate in the Western Central Pacific, the Philippines and the South China Sea.
Known commonly as Donut Corals, Meat Corals, or simply Acanthos, they are a CITES Appendix II-listed stony coral, and their export requires permits.
Their occasional presence in the UK aquarium trade has caused some expert sources to question their origin, with the JNCC confirming in writing that they had not approved any import applications since 2021, prior to February 2026.
