Rules: Turn actions
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On their turn a player may do any of the following:
- Eat one coral and a shrimp with their parrotfish. [if undertaken, must be performed first]
- Play a larva cube and lay some polyp tiles. [only once per turn]
- Play a second larva cube and lay some more polyp tiles. [only once]
- Introduce a shrimp. [only once]
- Move or remove a shrimp.
- Exchange a consumed polyp tile for a larva cube of the same colour.
- Acquire and play an alga cylinder.
- Exchange a larva cube for a polyp tile of the same colour.
- Do none of the above.
- Collect a larva cube and polyp tiles. [only once, must be performed last]
Action 1, if undertaken, must be performed first.
Actions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 can only be performed once during a player's turn.
Actions 2 to 8, if chosen, are performed in between actions 1 and 10 in any order.
Action 10 is the last action and no other actions can be undertaken once a player has undertaken this action.
Apart from action 5, each action must be completed before another action is started. Action 5 - moving a shrimp, can be performed at any time between actions 1 and 9, even in the middle of another action.
Actions Explained
Action 1: Eat one coral and a shrimp with the parrotfish. Before all other actions, your parrotfish may eat one coral together with the shrimp guarding it. (See Parrotfish for details.)
Action 2: Play a larva cube and polyp tiles. A player may play one larva cube of any colour. After showing the cube to the other players, add the used larva cube to the pile of larva cubes by the side of the open-sea board.
A player may then play up to four polyp tiles from behind their screen of the same colour as the larva cube they have just played. In addition they may play any number of the same colour of (consumed) polyp tiles from in front of their screen. (See Consumed Polyps for details.)
Action 3: Play a second larva cube and some more polyp tiles. A player may play a second larva cube of any colour (including the colour already played in action 2). Add the used larva cube to the pile of larva cubes by the side of the open-sea board.
A player may then play up to four polyp tiles from behind their screen of the same colour as the second larva cube they have just played. In addition they may play any number of the same colour of polyp tiles from in front of their screen.
Action 4: Introduce a new shrimp. A player may introduce one new shrimp from behind their screen onto any coral that does not already have a shrimp on it. At the beginning of the game a player will normally introduce a new shrimp when they start to grow a new coral.
Hint. In the first few turns of the game check to see if there are any corals remaining that do not already house a shrimp. If there are, consider placing a shrimp on the coral to claim and protect it, even if you do not play any new polyp tiles. You can always abandon the coral later if you do not need it.
Action 5: Move shrimps. A player may move a shrimp which is already on a polyp tile to:
- a different polyp on the same coral, or
- a polyp tile on a different coral, or
- a bare rock space, or
- behind their screen (and off the board).
A shrimp can be moved at any time between actions 1 and 9, even in the middle of another action.
A shrimp must be moved onto a polyp tile or placed back behind the player's screen at the end of the player's turn. The shrimp cannot remain on a bare rock space.
Action 6: Exchange a consumed polyp tile for a larva cube of the same colour. Exchange one consumed polyp for one larva cube of the same colour. The larva cube is placed behind the player's screen. The polyp tile is placed in the bag. (See Consumed Polyps for details.) Following this action, you must immediately play the newly acquired larva cube (actions 2, 3, or 8).
Action 7: Acquire and play an alga cylinder. Exchange one consumed polyp tile for one alga cylinder of any colour. The alga cylinder must be played immediately it is acquired.
If a player has placed a shrimp onto the open-sea board (see Parrotfish for details) then the alga cylinder may be placed onto a coral tile or onto the alga cylinder space on the open-sea board. Only one alga cylinder may be played onto a coral tile per turn.
If a player has not yet placed a shrimp onto the open-sea board then the alga cylinder must be played onto the alga cylinder space on the open-sea board. Any alga cylinder already on this space is removed. Any number of alga cylinders may be played onto the alga cylinder space during one turn. (See Coral tiles and alga cylinders for details.)
Action 8: Exchange a larva cube for a polyp tile of the same colour. Exchange a larva cube for a polyp tile of the same colour. Place the larva cube with the other larva cubes by the side of the open-sea board. Take from the bag of polyp tiles one polyp tile of the matching colour (or take the appropriate polyp tile from the five 'bonus' polyp tiles at the side of the open sea board in order to save time and then replace the bonus polyp tile later). The polyp tile is placed behind the player's screen.
'Action' 9: Do none of the above. A player may choose to do none of the above.
Action 10: Collect a larva cube and polyp tiles. Finally, after the player has completed all the actions they wish to and are permitted to perform, they collect one of the larva cubes from the opensea board and any accompanying polyp tiles which are on the same space.
The player then replaces the polyp tiles and the larva cube they have just taken as follows:
- The larva cube is replaced with another larva cube of the same colour that has just been taken.
- For each of the five differently coloured larva cubes on the open-sea board that is accompanied by fewer than three polyp tiles, add one polyp tile to the space containing that larva cube.
As an alternative to the player whose turn it is replacing the polyp tiles and larva cube each turn, you may find it easier to nominate the person sitting closest to the open-sea board to replace them after every turn.
The replacement polyp tiles are taken at random from the bag. If there are fewer than three polyp tiles or no larva cubes remaining, then see the end of game section. Play then passes to the next player in clockwise order. The game consists of one continuous round.
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