Sun Coral
Tubastraea aurea
Bright orange cup coral that opens its polyps to feed at night.
Family
Dendrophylliidae
Avg Size
10-30 cm
Habitat
Sun coral was first recorded in 1943 on Caribbean reefs off Curacao and Puerto Rico. An invasive species, it had spread as far north as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by 2004. Because it does not depend on sunlight for food, it often occurs in deep water and readily colonises artificial surfaces such as shipwrecks.
Behaviour
Unlike most shallow-water corals, sun corals are not photosynthetic and do not host zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae that feed many corals through photosynthesis. Instead they are heterotrophic, extending long tentacles at night to seize passing zooplankton, and their large polyps allow them to capture comparatively large prey.
Where & When to See It
No dive-site records found for this species yet.