DiscoverSpeciesCorals and anemones
Lesser knob coral
Cyphastrea microphthalma
- Usual depth2–15 m
- Water temperature21–30 °C
- Best monthsJanuary, July, and August
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Ewout Knoester, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 21 records
- February: 9 records
- March: 3 records
- April: 3 records
- May: 10 records
- June: 13 records
- July: 15 records
- August: 21 records
- September: 13 records
- October: 4 records
- November: 3 records
- December: 1 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–15 m · Deepest record: 40 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 21–30 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Lesser knob coral, lesser knob coral, Lesser star coral
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Cyphastrée à petits polypes
- Japanese
- トゲキクメイシ
- Simplified Chinese
- 小葉細菊珊瑚
Other scientific names: Astraea (Orbicella) microphthalma, Astraea microphthalma, Astrea microphthalma, Cyphastraea microphthalma, Cyphastraea muelleri, Cyphastraea savignyi, Cyphastrea aspera, Cyphastrea gardineri, Cyphastrea minuta, Cyphastrea muellerae, Cyphastrea muelleri, Cyphastrea savigny, Cyphastrea savignyi, Favia microphthalma, Orbicella microphthalma
Similar species
Lesser knob coralCyphastrea chalcidicum
Lesser knob coralCyphastrea ocellina
Lesser knob coralCyphastrea serailia
Lesser knob coralCyphastrea decadia
- Lesser knob coral
Cyphastrea agassizi
- Lesser knob coral
Cyphastrea japonica
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 672 open-data records from 1816 to 2015.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.