Striped bum coral

Heterocyathus sulcatus

Corals and anemones
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth23–325 m
Water temperature20–29 °C
Best monthsFebruary, May, and October
How commonRare

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 22 records
February: 51 records
March: 9 records
April: 27 records
May: 67 records
June: 21 records
July: 14 records
August: 7 records
September: 39 records
October: 49 records
November: 32 records
December: 11 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 23–325 m · Deepest record: 576 m

0–10 m: 4 records
10–20 m: 21 records
20–30 m: 46 records
30–40 m: 58 records
40–50 m: 35 records
50–60 m: 45 records
60–70 m: 30 records
70–80 m: 13 records
80–90 m: 11 records
90–100 m: 3 records
100–110 m: 12 records
110+ m: 153 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 20–29 °C

20–22 °C: 10 records
22–24 °C: 30 records
24–26 °C: 136 records
26–28 °C: 118 records
28–30 °C: 153 records

Names and classification

English: Striped bum coral, striped bum coral

Other scientific names: Heterocyathus cylicioides, Heterocyathus incrustans, Heterocyathus pulchellus, Homophyllia incrustans, Psammoseris sulcata, Stephanoseris sulcata

Similar species

Striped bum coral
Heterocyathus aequicostatus
Striped bum coral
Heterocyathus alternatus
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).
479 open-data records from 1900 to 2023.
Species data updated October 30, 2026.

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