Environmental Page

Different Corals in the Caribbean

Boulder Star Coral

Photographer: Ramon Roach

Many different lobes comprise one colony of this coral. The Boulder Star Coral (Montastrea annularis) is a scleractinian (hard) coral with a skeleton of limestone. Each Circular bump on the surface of the coral is a corallite, and the home for an individual coral animal (polyp).

Brain Coral

Photographer: Ramon Roach

A close up of the boulder brain coral. The Boulder Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) is a scleractinian (hard) coral with a skeleton of limestone. In this species, the corallites of each polyp are joined to create the valleys and ridges seen here, which produce a pattern similar to that of the brain.

Brain Coral rain Coral

Photographer: Leigh Weatherhead

A Blenny peeks out from a starlet coral. Blennies (Family Clinidae) are usually difficult to spot as they change colours to blend in with their backgrounds, and usually only their heads are visible. Each individual corallite of the starlet coral (Siderastrea sp) can be clearly seen.

Pink Tipped Anemone

Photographer: Ramon Roach

The Giant Anemone waves its tentacles. Anemones belong to the same Class as the corals, and like them, their tentacles contain stinging cells called nematocysts. The Giant Anemone (Condylactis gigantean) is the largest of the Caribbean anemones. Contact with them tends to result in mild irritation of the skin.

Magnificent Feather Duster

Photographer: Ramon Roach

Feather Duster living amongst a colony of Yellow Pencil Coral. The Magnificent Feather Duster (Sabellastarte magnifica) is a sessile (stationary) marine segmented tube worm. The flexible tube, which is composed of glued-together fine sand, is hidden within a colony of Yellow Pencil Coral (Madracis mirabilis). The head of the worm is encircled by featherlike radioles which serve a dual purpose; they act as gills and capture plankton for food.

Green Turtle

Photographer: Gregory Sealy

A Green Turtle nestled within a coral reef. The Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), the largest of all hard shelled sea turtles is listed as threatened in the Caribbean. It is unique in that it is herbivorous, feeding primarily on a diet of algae and sea grass, which gives its fat a greenish hue. Green turtles are observed regularly in our nearshore waters; however their nesting population numbers less than five.

Spotted Moral Eel

Photographer: Renata Goodridge

Moray looking out from the reef. The Spotted Moray (Gymnothorax moringa) usually hides in dark holes in the reef during the day. Normally they are not aggressive animals, but when provoked they can inflict painful bites.

Fuzzy Pillar Coral

Photographer: André Miller

A tube worm lives within a pillar coral colony. The Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) is one of the few hard corals in which the tentacles of the polyps are extended during the daytime, giving the animal a fuzzy appearance.

Sea Rod

Photographer: Ramon Roach

A Sea Rod colony bends in the stiff current. Sea Rods (Plexaurella sp) are corals, but not the reef-building kind. They are called gorgonians and have a central skeleton made of a protein called gorgonin from which they derive their names and their flexibility. All Gorgonians filter the water for the plankton on which they feed.