Species Type:
Corals, Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Blushing star coral
Size:
Colonies of blushing star coral usually reach less than one foot (0.3 meters) across.
Diet:
Coral have a special algae—called zooxanthellae– in their tissues that photosynthesize the sun's rays into energy/food.
Range & Habitat:
Throughout the western Atlantic ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, blushing star coral inhabits reef communities, channels, and deep lagoons at various depths.
Details:
Blushing star coral gets its name from its orange-red coloring and star-shaped polyps. This species of coral is mesophilic, meaning they don’t like water temperatures that are too hot (like the surface of the ocean) or too cold (like the bottom of the ocean).