Orange cup coral

Orange cup coral is a species of large-polyp stony corals. This non-reef building coral extends translucent tentacles at night. Tubastraea coccinea is heterotrophic and does not contain zooxanthellae in its tissues as many tropical corals do, allowing it to grow in complete darkness as long as it can capture enough food. T. coccinea is an invasive coral known for its vibrant sun-like colors, which contrast against the dimly lit areas it inhabits. This organism has a massive geographic range, spreading as far as the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico since its original discovery in 1830. Ballast water is a significant benefactor to their spread, though T. coccinea has also been known to cling to the underside of passing ships. Further, its ability to use sexual and asexual reproduction and lack of reliance on photosynthesis promote its invasive spread. Attempts have been made to control its spread.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Orange cup coral”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where it has been recorded

Best months

English

Orange cup coral, orange coral, orange cup coral, red coral, Red Cup Coral, Sun Coral

Other scientific names: Astropsammia pedersenii, Caryophyllia aurantiaca, Caryophyllia calycularis, Cladocora calycularis, Coenopsammia affinis, Coenopsammia coccinea, Coenopsammia ehrenbergiana, Coenopsammia gaimardi, Coenopsammia manni, Coenopsammia radiata, Coenopsammia tenuilamellosa, Coenopsammia urvillii, Dendrophyllia (Coenopsammia) affinis, Dendrophyllia affinis, Dendrophyllia aurantiaca, Dendrophyllia circularis, Dendrophyllia coccinea, Dendrophyllia ehrenbergiana, Dendrophyllia manni, Dendrophyllia radiata, Dendrophyllia surcularis, Dendrophyllia tenuilamellosa, Dendrophyllia turbinata, Lobopsammia darwini, Pachypsammia valida, Pachysammia valida, Placopsammia darwini, Tubastaea coccinea, Tubastraea pedersenii, Tubastraea tenuilamellosa