[1] Tubastraea coccinea is heterotrophic and does not contain zooxanthellae in its tissues as many tropical corals do, allowing it to grow in complete darkness as long as it can capture enough food.

Tubastraea coccinea inhabits shaded vertical surfaces and caverns down to huge depths.

[2] They also colonize artificial structures,[3] but experiments have demonstrated similar preferences for granite, cement, steel and tile.

[5] Although Tubastraea coccinea is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) website and database, it often competes with other benthic invertebrates for substratum space.

Tubastraea coccinea is native to the Indo-Pacific region, it has been recorded at Sonadia Island, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in 2013, by Marinelife Alliance, research organization.