Elegance Coral tops Most Endangered List

Back in the early 90's when I got into this hobby, Elegance corals were hardy and fairly common. Today is a different story. The Elegance coral is now considered one of the most endangered by EDGE - a new program from a team of scientists at Zoological Society of London designed to raise community awareness on the plight of our corals. I hold on to the hope that evolving hobbyists like us will turn the tables the other way by keeping our fragging tools sharp. But dire news all the same.

MOST ENDANGERED

• Elegance coral or Catalaphyllia jardinae has large tubular tentacles which are green with pink tips and a 'zebra' striped oral disk
• Crisp pillow coral or Anomastraea irregularis has an overall blue-grey or cream colour and its individual polyps are small, numerous and a shade of brown
• Horastrea coral or Horastrea indica is a hemispherical, colonial species and is pale-brown in colour with blue-grey oral discs
• Pillar coral or Dendrogyra cylindrus grows in tall cylindrical columns of heights up to 2m giving it a distinctive pillar-like appearance
• Elliptical star coral or Dichocoenia stokesii is spherical in shape with irregularly shaped corallites
• Mushroom coral or Heliofungia actiniformis has a flat shape with large, lobed teeth
• Elkhorn coral or Acropora palmata forms branching 'antler' type colonies which are yellowy-tan in colour with white tips to the branches
• Parasimplastrea coral or Parasimplastrea sheppardi is a small, encrusting coral which is colourful in appearance
• Pearl bubble coral or Physogyra lichtensteini is a colonial species that can form 'massive' colonies with a bubble-like appearance
• Ctenella coral or Ctenella chagius is a brain coral that is endemic to the Chagos Archipelago

Source: ZSL


More info:
BBC News - New scheme launched for 'bleached and dying' coral life


EDGE Web site:
EDGE of Existence :: Coral Reefs on the EDGE

 

Uh oh!!!!!

 

Jeez, I have two of these in my tank!

Just wanna point out as well, Heliofungia actiniformis is much better known as a long tentacle plate coral than a mushroom coral, at least AFAIK.

 

Unfortunately I think we will start to see the Euphyllias and Goniopora on this list soon.

As well as many anemones. Few anemones will clone or can be " cut " as a means of reproduction.

 

Can Catalaphyllia be propagated?

 

oh wow, this is my favorite coral... a pink tipped elegance is what i have always wanted but have avoided because i have heard that they are difficult

 

Yeah there my fav as well there the ones that made me want to get onto coral

 

With the way our reefs are deterioriorating now, I feel it is just a matter of time until most species become endangered. Even though I cannot do much, I wish to keep as many as possible to reduce the chances of extinction for certain pieces.

Thank you for bringing this up Matt

 

Watch this video! It will make you change you mind a little bit!

YouTube - eddiecoraladventure's Channel

 

That's bad and all that, I agree. I just think this is one of the uglier corals out there. I don't see what ya'll see I guess.

Still a shame though.