Deepwater coral

Desmophyllum pertusum

Corals and anemones
IUCN: Vulnerable

Usual depth260–750 m
Water temperature6–28 °C
Best monthsOctober
How commonCommon

All species

Photo credit: (c) Tom Kennedy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 59 records
February: 30 records
March: 258 records
April: 554 records
May: 304 records
June: 1,916 records
July: 572 records
August: 1,413 records
September: 1,529 records
October: 7,106 records
November: 886 records
December: 126 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 260–750 m · Deepest record: 4,416 m

0–10 m: 48 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 3 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 3 records
50–60 m: 4 records
60–70 m: 13 records
70–80 m: 24 records
80–90 m: 70 records
90–100 m: 150 records
100–110 m: 64 records
110+ m: 16,588 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 6–28 °C

4–6 °C: 1 records
6–8 °C: 54 records
8–10 °C: 122 records
10–12 °C: 81 records
12–14 °C: 34 records
14–16 °C: 24 records
16–18 °C: 36 records
18–20 °C: 10 records
20–22 °C: 2 records
22–24 °C: 0 records
24–26 °C: 466 records
26–28 °C: 164 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Deepwater coral, eye coral, spider hazards, White Coral, white stony coral

Names in 3 more languages

German: Augenkoralle, Weiße Glaskoralle
Spanish: Coral de agua fría, Coral de Aguas Profundas
French: scléractiniaire perforé

Other scientific names: Dendrosmilia nomlandi, Lithodendron proliferum, Lophelia pertusa, Lophelia prolifera, Lophelia subcostata, Lophohelia affinis, Lophohelia gracilis, Lophohelia prolifera, Lophohelia subcostata, Lophohelia tubulosa, Madrepora pertusa, Madrepora prolifera, Madrepora subcostata, Matrepora prolifera, Oculina prolifera

Similar species

Cockscomb cup coral
Desmophyllum dianthus
Desmophyllum hourigani
Devonshire cup coral
Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii
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).
28,475 open-data records from 1868 to 2023.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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