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DiscoverSpeciesCorals and anemones

Crystal coral

Galaxea fascicularis

  • Corals and anemones
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth5–47 m
  • Water temperature24–29 °C
  • Best monthsFebruary, March, and April
  • How commonCommon
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About this species

Galaxea fascicularis is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Euphylliidae, commonly known as octopus coral, fluorescence grass coral, and galaxy coral among various vernacular names.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Galaxea fascicularis”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 33 records
  • February: 851 records
  • March: 709 records
  • April: 584 records
  • May: 301 records
  • June: 22 records
  • July: 16 records
  • August: 76 records
  • September: 17 records
  • October: 3 records
  • November: 5 records
  • December: 7 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 5–47 m · Deepest record: 203.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 443 records
  • 10–20 m: 88 records
  • 20–30 m: 561 records
  • 30–40 m: 428 records
  • 40–50 m: 1,179 records
  • 50–60 m: 28 records
  • 60–70 m: 0 records
  • 70–80 m: 0 records
  • 80–90 m: 0 records
  • 90–100 m: 0 records
  • 100–110 m: 0 records
  • 110+ m: 7 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–29 °C

  • 22–24 °C: 1 records
  • 24–26 °C: 51 records
  • 26–28 °C: 82 records
  • 28–30 °C: 430 records

Names and classification

English
Crystal coral, Octopus coral, crystal coral, Fluorescence Grass Coral, Galaxy Coral, octopus coral
Names in 5 more languages
German
Kristallkoralle
French
Corail piquant
Japanese
アザミサンゴ
Thai
ปะการังกาแล็กซี
Simplified Chinese
叢生棘杯珊瑚

Other scientific names: Anthophyllum cuspidatum, Anthophyllum esperi, Anthophyllum fasciculare, Anthophyllum fasciculatum, Anthophyllum hystrix, Caryophyllia fascicularis, Caryophyllia fasciculata, Galaxea anthophyllites, Galaxea aspera, Galaxea caryophyllites, Galaxea colamnaris, Galaxea columnaris, Galaxea cuspidata, Galaxea ellisi, Galaxea esperi, Galaxea fasicularis, Galaxea fragilis, Galaxea heterocyathus, Galaxea hexagonalis, Galaxea hystrix, Galaxea irregularis, Galaxea lawisiana, Galaxea prolifera, Galaxea quoyi, Galaxea tenella, Madrepora cuspidata, Madrepora divergens, Madrepora fascicularis, Matrepora cuspidata, Sarcinula divergens

Similar species

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.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 3,119 open-data records from 1767 to 2015.

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