The scientific name of this species of finger coral is Porites compressa.
This photo was taken while I was diving off the coast of Oahu. I was on my second dive at a site called the Nautilus. At this point I was probably in 40 feet of water. I had just taken photos of three different species of nudibranchs, and I decided to focus in on corals for a bit. I liked the knobby growth of this coral that is known in the area as finger coral.
If you are an avid diver of the Caribbean Sea, then you may be confused at the name of this coral. In the Caribbean, there is a species of coral that looks similar in structure that goes by the common name finger coral. The scientific name of the Caribbean species is Porites porites, and it is not found in the Pacific Ocean. The scientific name of this species is Porites compressa. To add to the confusion of this coral species name, it is also known commonly as hump coral, which we featured in another blog post from this month's gallery!
Finger coral can be found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as the Red Sea. It is a commonly seen species of coral around Hawaii. In a post in our January 2023 gallery we wrote about a kayak trip in Kaneohe Bay. The most common coral species found there is this species of finger coral!
This species of coral is typically found in shallow lagoons and on coral reefs. Its color is typically pale brown or grey. It tends to look like a knobby boulder in shallow water, but can take on the appearance of columns when it grows in deeper water. The branches of the coral can fuse together over time.
Finger coral is the dominant species of coral in Kaneohe Bay!
This coral species grows quite slowly, but can form massive colonies that can be more than 1,000 years old!
This coral species grows quite slowly, but can form massive colonies that can be more than 1,000 years old! These ancient colonies have seen much, but they are not tolerant to the changes that are happening to the oceans today. Like most coral species, they are susceptible to the increasing ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, trawling, El Niño events, pollution, and over-collection as part of the aquarium trade.
Did you know?
- Zooxanthella grows in the tissues of coral polyps and helps them to survive by providing vital nutrients through photosynthesis.
- Coral reefs are an important part of the global food system. More than 500 million people rely on the fish that live in coral reefs for food.
- Coral reefs can act as a barrier for the coastline from storms and storm surges.
Pingback: Cauliflower Coral
[…] Previous StoryFinger Coral Next StoryBlue Neon Goby […]
Pingback: Sea Rod
[…] Previous StoryFinger Coral Next StoryBlue Neon Goby […]