Splitting cup coral

Dasmosmilia lymani

Corals and anemones
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth85–327 m
Water temperature7–28 °C
Best monthsMarch, June, and August
How commonOccasional

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 16 records
February: 30 records
March: 66 records
April: 8 records
May: 32 records
June: 56 records
July: 26 records
August: 73 records
September: 28 records
October: 36 records
November: 44 records
December: 5 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 85–327 m · Deepest record: 1,022.5 m

20–30 m: 2 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 2 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 4 records
70–80 m: 19 records
80–90 m: 50 records
90–100 m: 112 records
100–110 m: 43 records
110–120 m: 41 records
120–130 m: 30 records
130+ m: 214 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 7–28 °C

6–8 °C: 1 records
8–10 °C: 0 records
10–12 °C: 0 records
12–14 °C: 6 records
14–16 °C: 165 records
16–18 °C: 175 records
18–20 °C: 56 records
20–22 °C: 22 records
22–24 °C: 14 records
24–26 °C: 75 records
26–28 °C: 45 records
28–30 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

English: Splitting cup coral, Splitting stony coral, splitting cup coral, Splitting Cup Coral, splitting stony coral, Splitting Stony Coral

Names in 1 more languages

French: scléractiniaire de Lyman

Other scientific names: Dasmosmilia pacifica, Goniocyathus pacifica, Goniocyathus pacificus, Parasmilia lymani

Similar species

Deepwater coral
Desmophyllum pertusum
Devonshire cup coral
Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii
Cockscomb cup coral
Desmophyllum dianthus
Prolific coral
Anomocora fecunda
Horn stony coral
Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) ambrosia
Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) diomedeae

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).
600 open-data records from 1869 to 2015.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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