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Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) Indo-Pacific blue coral |
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photo by
FAO |
| Family: | Helioporidae () | |||
| Max. size: | 100 cm COLD (male/unsexed) | |||
| Environment: | reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 3 m | |||
| Distribution: | Indo-West Pacific: West to Red Sea; north to southern Japan; east to Samoa; and south to New Caledonia. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Forms large colonies, more than 100 cm in diameter, that may be massive, or most commonly, composed of vertical branches or folia. The surface appearance is very smooth, and the color in life is a distinctive grey-brown with white tips. The entire skeleton is blue (Ref. 269). | |||
| Biology: | Depth based from occurrence (Ref. 8294); to be replaced with a better reference. Most common in shallow water (Ref. 269), on reefs at typically less than 2 m. Also in exposed reef areas, reef flats and the intertidal zone (Ref. 98471). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | (LC); Date assessed: 27 October 2023 Ref. 123251) | |||
| Threat to humans: | ||||
| Country info: |
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