Caribbean Reefs – Fire Corals – Lace Corals – Gorgonians – Black Corals

How Fire Coral has an Edge Over Other Species in the Caribbean Reef

Posted on August 11, 2022August 16, 2022 by Riley Bell

Coral reefs are the most productive marine ecosystem known, providing essential habitats and shelters for fish and other organisms. Additionally, they help protect coastlines, support economies, provide important food sources for local fisheries, and so much more. Coral reefs are ecologically essential—but are continuing to vanish. Fire coral (Millepora) brings new hope to this marine crisis due to their unusual ability to grow in two forms and survive under various habitat stresses.

Bladed fire coral (Millepora complanata) undersea, Caribbean Sea, Cuba

What Is Fire Coral?

Fire coral has been around for millions of years and is most commonly found in sunny, shallow reefs. They tend to grow in tropical and subtropical waters with many thriving in different areas of the Caribbean Sea, one of the planet’s most biologically diverse ecosystems. Fire coral resembles typical stony corals but has a wicked sting that can cause burning skin reactions, reflecting their relationship as a close relative to jellyfish.

The Best of Both Worlds

Fire coral has the unusual ability to grow in two different forms, giving it the best of both worlds and an edge over other Caribbean corals. It can grow as trees with a stem and branches sprouting upward or as sheets which appear as a flat coating across rocks and other surfaces.

The Caribbean reef has been plagued by many forms of destruction including global warming, disease, hurricanes, and an overabundance of algae. When the environment is on the calmer side, the reef begins to crowd and fire coral sprouts into its branching tree form to exploit sunlight and plankton in the water. This allows it to thrive in tighter spaces and for organisms to inhabit and feed off of the coral.

Although fire coral may lose its branches once a storm hits or other factors destroy the macroalgae, it can quickly move in and encrust surfaces, taking another form—sheets. These conditions cause a lot of destruction to other reef species but allow more room for fire coral to further expand in its sheet form. Thus, in a world with frequent environmental stresses and tough competition for marine-life space on the bottom, fire coral holds steady and has even increased slightly in abundance over time.

The Future of Coral

Coral species are getting rarer and rarer. It’s estimated that 50% of the world’s corals have already vanished. Despite its environmental resilience, fire coral remains susceptible to other damaging factors. Marine heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense, and coral bleaching persists as the leading cause of coral reef deaths worldwide.

Fire coral bleaching in the Pacific ocean, healthy coral on the right part and bleached coral 6 months later on the left, French Polynesia, Oceania

At Promega, we are focused on a long-term view of wildlife conservation. One of the ways we capitalize on this commitment is by funding and supporting the Revive and Restore Catalyst Science Fund. The Catalyst Science Fund contributes to the exploration of biotech solutions to environmental challenges worldwide, like those of coral reefs. In fact, marine biologist Steve Palumbi was awarded the first Science Fund grant which he and his team at Stanford University exercised to investigate the genomic “stress trigger” associated with coral bleaching. The team anticipates valuable findings for the future of coral reefs as they aim to control responses to heat stress and identify heat-resistant corals in breeding programs.

Check out Revive and Restore’s Advanced Coral Toolkit for more current and completed coral projects.

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Riley earned her B.S. in Life Sciences Communication and a certificate in Global Health at UW-Madison. She is a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Promega.

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Large fish and invertebrates for the reef aquarium

– Fish of this group are herbivores, therefore they do not pose a threat to corals.

– For this combination, aquariums must be very large with a good filtration system.

• Fish and invertebrates available
• Suitable items
• Related Articles
• Reef Aquarium Video
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This group contains relatively large fish that can get along with invertebrates.

The volume of such an aquarium should be at least 500 liters and have a good filtration system. Suitable water parameters for representatives of this group: temperature +22..+27 degrees, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025.

When keeping fish and invertebrates together, it must be remembered that copper preparations are detrimental to the latter!

Feeding these fish is not difficult. They willingly eat frozen and dry food. Many of them prefer plant foods, so having a caulerpa growing in an aquarium is desirable.

Large fish and invertebrates for the reef aquarium

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Morula snail M

Babylonia marble M

Turbo algae snail M

Seaweed snail turbo setosus M

Niloticus algae snail M

Algae-eating spinning top striped M

Blue-legged hermit crab M

Nassarius snail M

Sabelastarta Indian simple M

Caulerpa / 100g. M

Red-footed hermit crab M

Sabelastarta magnifica M

Anemone shrimp Thor M

Camel Shrimp, Dancing Shrimp M

Clown sebae (white-brown) S

Monkey Shrimp, Marbled Shrimp M

Clown frenatus (tomato red) S

Boxer Crab (Crab Pom Pom) M

Doctor Scarlet Shrimp M

Ophiura-ophiolepis striped M

Striped boxer shrimp M

Blue-footed boxer shrimp (yellow) M

Clark’s Clown chocolate S

Linkia star red S

Fromium star red M

Tamarin yellow (chrysus) M

Green tamarin M

Dark tamarin M

Sea cucumber black M

Pacific doctor shrimp S

White-spotted anemone shrimp (peacock) M

Ophiura-ophiomastics annulose M

Mespilia hedgehog (“watermelon”) M

Sea cucumber black-red M

Zanzibar boxer shrimp M

Hare sea dolabrifera M

Galaxy M

Centropig blue-yellow S

Black Ophiura-Ophiolepis M

Slate hedgehog heterocentrotus M

Sinularia different S

Bodian Diana M

Echinometer hedgehog M

Haliclon sponge orange M

Disc actinia different S

Capnella “Litophyton arboreum” M

Linkia star blue M

Centropig pearl M

Nardoy Star L

Bodian dark-browed (mesothorax) M

Cladiella S

Euphyllia malleus S

Centropig black (Tibitzen) (Centropig keyhole) M

Various sarcophytons S

Acropora colored S

Cesium yellowback M

Bubbly anemone S

Acantasterea maxima M

Acantasterea Lordi M

Dr. cardinal shrimp, Lismata bloody M

Lobophytums different M

Acantasterea M

Sinularia green M

Porit cylindrical yellow (green) M

Anemone red-bodied green L

Discoactinia LUX S

Gorgonian euplexaura M

Clavularia M

Zebrasoma brown S

Montipora (coloured) M

Turbinaria yellow M

Surgeon blue (royal) S

Seriatopora hystrix M

Clown premnas yellow-striped (Red yellow-striped clown) M

Orange Lobophyllia S

Cornularia blue M

Surgeon Tennety (Lt.) M

Surgeon striped S

Surgeon Clown Indian Ocean S

Centropig two-thorn M

Surgeon-ktenochet blue-eyed (binotatus) S

Montipora L

Turbinaria L

Rodaktis – elephant ear M

Ctenochet surgeon striped M

Blastomussa Merletta S

Fungia green (Coral mushroom) M

Tubastreya orange (yellow) M

Lemnalia M

Echinopora M

Anemone red-bodied violet S

Surgeon Zebra M

Labracin red L

Anemone heteraktis small M

Eibl-Eibesfeldt centropig M

Surgeon blue white chested S

Nemensophyllia turbida (Fox coral) M

Discactinia yuma orange S

Anemone carpet stixodactyla haddoni green (fluorescent) M

Zebrasoma sailing black-striped S

Physogira Liechtenstein (Coral pearl) M

Hidnopore L

Plerogyra vesicular M

Tubepore red organ M

Pectinia lettuce S

Surgeon chocolate M

Fungia purple (Coral mushroom) M

Anemone red-bodied blue M

Anemone heteraktis small white M

Serpulids various & Porit cylindrical M

Zebrasoma sailing Desjardins S

Amplexidiscus Big Elephant Ear M

Traxiphyllia Geoffrey red M

Galaxia gold (orange) M

Acantasterea echinata M

Fungia orange (Coral mushroom) M

Protula worm red M

Carpet anemone haddoni green M

Pocillopora M

Fungia tricolor (Coral mushroom) M

Butterfly tweezers-helmon (nosed helmon) M

Catalaphyllia elegant M

Blastomussa Wells bicolor M

Echinophilia thorny L

Brick anemone M

Cynarina red S

Black-striped surgeon (Epaulet surgeon) L

Euphyllia torch orange M

Goniopora M

Cerianthus (“pipe anemone”) M

Acantasterea Lordi red M

Favites L

Lobophyllia L

Orange Grape Euphyllia (Euphyllia “Frog Spawn”) M

Euphyllia malleus orange M

Blastomussa Wells red S

Japanese surgeon (bronze) M

Surgeon white-spotted L

Acantasterea echinata orange M

Carpet anemone haddoni blue M

Zebrasoma yellowtail XL

Carpet anemone haddoni red XXL

Suitable for reef aquarium

Live Stones (Indonesia) 1 kg M

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Large fish and invertebrates for the reef aquarium on video

Items from this group that are currently out of stock

Acropora colored (detail) S

Strombus Canarian Guido S

Bumblebee snail M

Astrea algae snail (turban) M

Strombus S

Blastomussa S

Purple tamarin (prozopeion) S

Holothuria red S

Strombus blackmouth S

Spirografis worm M

Sabelastarta Indian yellow S

Clark’s Clown chocolate – Adjustable M

Turbo algae snail prickly L

Common hooktail (Sea duck) S

Clicker Shrimp (Cracker Shrimp) M

Spotted anemone crab S

Bodian spotted back (bilunulatus) M

Purple-legged marbled shrimp M

Merulina S

Ofiura-ofiocoma S

Red Reef Lobster S

Arrowhead crab (stenorinkus) S

Stylophora S

Xenia pulsating S

Disc actinia huma (single) S

Lyretail Bodian (Anthoides) L

Harlequin Mantis Shrimp XXL

Large scale red-cheeked curler L

Holothuria yellow S

Acropora brown S

Sabelstart red/white M

Mycetophyllia S

Clown melanopus (dark tomato) S

Flounder botus eyed S

Antonbruun shrimp (false anemone) M

Haliclon blue sponge (“desmacidon”) L

Star Asterodiscus (red) S

Lobster decorated S

Tamarin marble (chess) S

Clown ephippium (fire) S

Twin star M

Christmas tamarin (claudia) S

Haliotis asinina (Donkey ear) S

Reef Lobster Debelius S

Blue boxer shrimp L

Tamarin white-yellow (lemon) S

Dr. Wurdemann Shrimp XL

Seriatopora calendrum S

Ascidia M

Two-tooth marbled wrasse (Anampses yellowtail) S

Protula worm white L

Rizotrochus L

Horse anemone (strawberry) M

Large striped clown (polymnus) L

Bodian grenadier M

Caulerpa on a stone (multi-colored) S

Euphyllia S

Anemone leathery (crispa) S

Polyphyllia mole (talpina) S

Anemone carpet tapetum (Mini carpet anemone) S

Lima red M

Horseshoe crab (Asian) S

Dr. Kukental Shrimp M

Plectrantias red highfin M

Anemone fimanthus speckled (beaded) green M

Bodian Spanish (Rufus) M

Caulastraea S

Scolimia (Acanthophilia) S

Centropig yellow XL

Antelia (Pulsating Coral) S

Anemone heteraktis magnifica (Luxury anemone) S

Anemone heteraktis malu purple S

Xenia blue M

Anemone carpet verse S

Eucidaris caribbean slate hedgehog M

Bermuda anemone (yellow/orange) L

Lobster blue-striped (variegated), Lobster precious M

Alveopora S

Decorator Crab (Spider Crab) M

Anemone condylactis giant (Atlantic) S

Protula worm red-white S

Giant carpet anemone S

Red sea cucumber M

Cornularia S

Tridacna S

Acantasterea Lordi green S

Fromium star elegant M

Harlequin shrimp spotted M

Red-bodied anemone S

Dendroneftia M

Fungia (Coral mushroom) S

Symphyllia S

Euphyllia flower branching L

Centropig ferrugatus (terracotta) S

Cycloseris S

Bodian spotted-finned (pulchellus) M

Colored Gorgonaria S

Cynarina S

Carpet sea anemone giant green S

Centropig purple S

Tridacna squamose (scaly) S

Euphyllia torch S

Tridacna crocea (drilling, saffron) S

Sferella M

Trachyphyllia Geoffroy S

Anemone heteraktis small yellow S

Carpet sea anemone giant blue S

Surgeon black-backed (Surgeon horseshoe) S

Distichhopora (fire coral) S

Holothuria sea apple S

Horseshoe crab (Caribbean) S

Discactinia Florida (single) M

Velsophyllia (dome brain) S

Sea anemone heteractis sp.