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ALEXANDRE MEINESZ

Red Coral

In Dive.Explo360: Mediterranean · Northeast Atlantic · Atlantic Ocean

Beneath an overhang or at a cave entrance, red coral sometimes reveals its scarlet branches covered with small white polyps. Once highly sought after, it is now a valuable sign of healthy rocky seabeds and preserved habitats.

Habitat de Red Coral Habitat
Rocky habitat, Coralligenous habitat
Profondeur de Red Coral Depth
10-200 m
Groupe biologique de Red Coral Group
Cnidarian
Rôle écologique de Red Coral Role
Filter feeder, Ecosystem engineer

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Red coral is a colonial animal made up of many small white polyps grouped around a rigid red skeleton. This very dense skeleton forms irregular branches that give the colony the appearance of a small shrub.Colonies are generally modest in size, often from a few centimetres to a few tens of centimetres. Their growth is very slow, at around a few millimetres per year.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

Red coral lives attached to rocky surfaces in dimly lit areas. It is mainly found beneath overhangs, in caves and cracks, or on vertical walls.It occurs from a few metres deep to several hundred metres, but becomes more abundant with depth, where light is weak and conditions more stable.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Red coral catches small prey and particles suspended in the water, such as plankton. Its polyps extend their tentacles to catch this material carried by the current.It therefore depends heavily on water circulation to feed efficiently.

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Same habitat and depth

Rocky seabed species Coralligenous habitat species

Same ecological role and depth

Filter-feeding species Ecosystem engineer species

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