Mediterranean red coral
Corallium rubrum
- Scientific name
- Corallium rubrum
- Group
- Cnidarians (corals, anemones, jellyfish)
- Rarity
- Epic
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Endangered
Did you know?
Mediterranean red coral forms calcified colonies that grow extremely slowly, sometimes less than a millimeter a year, making them highly vulnerable to overharvesting for jewelry. The oldest colonies now survive mainly in deep caves, out of divers' reach.
What defines this group — Cnidarians (corals, anemones, jellyfish)
Corals, anemones and jellyfish: the same simple animal, anchored to the bottom or drifting in open water.
- All armed with cnidocytes, harpoon cells that fire on contact.
- A body arranged in rays around a single opening, serving as both mouth and exit.
- Hard corals host algae in their tissue: it is their departure that causes bleaching.