Serpent coral

Pachyseris speciosa

Corals and anemones
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth2–18 m
Water temperature18–30 °C
Best monthsMay
How commonOccasional

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 5 records
February: 13 records
March: 11 records
April: 13 records
May: 91 records
June: 8 records
July: 6 records
August: 32 records
September: 24 records
October: 9 records
November: 7 records
December: 10 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 2–18 m · Deepest record: 73 m

0–10 m: 211 records
10–20 m: 78 records
20–30 m: 12 records
30–40 m: 3 records
40–50 m: 3 records
50–60 m: 1 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 18–30 °C

16–18 °C: 1 records
18–20 °C: 1 records
20–22 °C: 0 records
22–24 °C: 4 records
24–26 °C: 160 records
26–28 °C: 182 records
28–30 °C: 71 records

Names and classification

English: Serpent coral, Castle Coral, serpent coral

Names in 3 more languages

French: Pachyséris lamellaire
Japanese: リュウモンサンゴ
Simplified Chinese: 環形波紋珊瑚, 環波紋珊瑚

Other scientific names: Agaricia (Undaria) levicollis, Agaricia (Undaria) speciosa, Agaricia levicollis, Agaricia speciosa, Pachyseris clementei, Pachyseris haimei, Pachyseris levicollis

Similar species

Serpent coral
Pachyseris gemmae

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).
862 open-data records from 1846 to 2023.

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.

Join the waitlist