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Currently, there are approximately 66 hard corals recognized
from Belize. 54 of these are typical hermatypic corals and
12 ahermatypic species. A hermatypic coral is a reef-building
coral with symbiotic zooanthellae in the tissues. The zooanthellae
utililize carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce organic
compounds which are absorbed by the coral as food, providing
the overwhelming majority of nutrition needed by the coral
colony. Corals which do not have zooanthellae are called
ahermatypic corals, and must rely on capturing prey with
the stinging cells in their tentacles.
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This list currently contains only the "hard"
corals. Soft Corals and Black Corals will be added on a
later date.
The corals of Belize are a beleaguered lot. Recent coral
bleaching events have killed large stands and virtually
wiped out individual species (see links on the left). What
the future will bring is unclear but with global warming
progressing, it does not look good.
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| Class |
Family |
Scientific
Name |
Synonym |
English
Name |
| Hydrozoa
- Hydrocorals |
|
|
Milleporidae:
Fire corals |
|
|
|
|
Millepora alcicornis |
|
Branching Fire Coral |
|
|
Millepora complanata |
|
Blade Fire Coral |
|
|
Millepora striata |
|
|
|
Stylasteridae:
Lace corals |
|
|
|
Stylaster roseus |
|
Rose Lace Coral |
|
|
|
|
|
| Anthozoa
- Subclass Octocorallia - Gorgonians, Telestaceans, Soft Corals |
|
Being
updated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Anthozoa
- Subclass Hexacorallia - Order Antipatharia - Black Corals |
|
Being
updated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Anthozoa
- Subclass Hexacorallia - Order Scleractinia - Stony Corals |
|
Astroecoenidae |
|
|
|
|
Stephanocoenia
michelini |
Blushing Star Coral |
|
Pocilloporidae |
|
|
|
|
Madracis mirabilis |
|
Yellow Pencil Coral |
|
|
Madracis
decactis f. decactis |
Ten-ray Finger Coral |
|
|
Madracis luciphila |
M. pharensis f. luciphila |
Encrusting Star Coral |
|
|
Madracis pharensis |
M. pharensis f. pharensis |
Star Coral |
|
|
Madracis formosa |
|
Eight-ray Finger Coral |
|
Acroporidae:
Staghorn and Elkhorn Corals |
|
|
|
Acropora palmata |
|
Elkhorn Coral |
|
|
Acropora cervicornis |
|
Staghorn Coral |
|
|
Acropora prolifera |
|
Fused Staghorn |
|
Agariciidae |
|
|
|
|
Agaricia tenuifolia |
|
Thin Leaf Lettuce Coral |
|
|
Agaricia
agaricites f. agaricites |
Lettuce Coral |
|
|
Agaricia
agaricites f. purpurea |
Lettuce Coral |
|
|
Agaricia
agaricites f. carinata |
Lettuce Coral |
|
|
Agaricia
agaricites f. danai |
Lettuce Coral |
|
|
Agaricia tenuifolia |
|
|
|
|
Agaricia fragilis |
|
Fragile Saucer Coral |
|
|
Agaricia lamarcki |
|
Lamarck's Sheet Coral |
|
|
Agaricia undata |
|
Scroll Coral |
|
|
Agaricia humilis |
|
Lowrelief Lettuce Coral |
|
|
Agaricia grahamae¹ |
|
Graham's Sheet Coral |
|
|
Leptoseris cucullata |
Helioceris cucullata |
Sunray Lettuce Coral |
|
Siderastreidae |
|
|
|
|
Siderastrea siderea |
|
Massive Starlet Coral |
|
|
Siderastrea radians |
|
Lesser Starlet Coral |
|
Poritidae |
|
|
|
|
Porites
porites f. porites |
Finger Coral |
|
|
Porites
porites f. furcata |
Branched Finger Coral |
|
|
Porites
porites f. divaricata |
Thin Finger Coral |
|
|
Porites astreoides |
|
Mustard Hill Coral |
|
|
Porites colonensis |
|
Honeycomb Plate Coral |
|
|
Porites branneri |
|
Blue Crust Coral |
|
Faviidae |
|
|
|
|
Favia fragum |
|
Golfball Coral |
|
|
Diploria strigosa |
|
Symmetrical Brain Coral |
|
|
Diploria clivosa |
|
Knobby Brain Coral |
|
|
Diploria
labyrinthiformis |
Grooved Brain Coral |
|
|
Manicina
areolata f. areolata |
Rose Coral |
|
|
Manicina
areolata f. mayori |
Tortugas Rose Coral |
|
|
Colpophyllia natans |
Colpophyllia breviserialis |
Boulder Brain Coral |
|
|
Cladocera arbuscula |
|
|
|
|
Montastrea faveolata (?) |
Montastrea annularis |
Mountainous Star Coral |
|
|
Montastrea annularis |
|
Lobed Star Coral |
|
|
Montastrea franksi (?) |
Montastrea annularis |
Boulder Star Coral |
|
|
Montastrea
cavernosa |
Great Star Coral |
|
|
Solenastrea bournoni |
|
Smooth Star Coral |
|
|
Solenastrea hyades³ |
|
Knobby Star Coral |
|
Rhizangidae |
|
|
|
|
Phyllangia americana |
|
Hidden Cup Coral |
|
|
Astragia solitaria |
|
Dwarf Cup Coral |
|
|
Colangia immersa |
|
Lesser Speckled Cup Coral |
|
Oculinidae |
|
|
|
|
Oculina diffusa |
|
Diffuse Ivory Bush Coral |
|
|
Oculina varicosa |
|
Large Ivory Coral |
|
|
Oculina
valenciennesi |
Ivory Tree Coral |
|
|
Caryophyllia
ambrosia |
|
|
|
Deltocyanthus
agassizzi |
|
|
|
Deltocyanthus
moseleyi |
|
|
|
Javenia cailleti |
|
|
|
Meandrinidae |
|
|
|
|
Meandrina
meandrites |
Maze Coral |
|
|
Dendrogyra cylindrus |
|
Pillar Coral |
|
|
Dichocoenia stokesii |
Dichocoenia stellaris |
Elliptical Star Coral |
|
Mussidae |
|
|
|
|
Mussa
angulosa f. angulosa |
|
|
|
Mussa lacera |
Scolymia lacera |
Spiny Flower Coral |
|
|
Mussa cubensis |
Scolymia cubensis |
Artichoce Coral |
|
|
Isophyllia sinuosa |
|
Sinuous Cactus Coral |
|
|
Isophyllastrea rigida |
|
Rough Star Coral |
|
|
Mycetophyllia
lamarckiana |
Ridged Cactus Coral |
|
|
Mycetophyllia
danaana |
Lowridge Cactus Coral |
|
|
Mycetophyllia aliciae |
|
Knobby Cactus Coral |
|
|
Mycetophyllia ferox |
|
Rough Cactus Coral |
|
|
Mycetophyllia reesii |
|
Ridgeless Cactus Coral |
|
Caryophyllidae |
|
|
|
|
Eusmilia fastigiata |
|
Smooth Flower Coral |
|
|
Thalamophyllia riisei² |
|
Baroque Cave Coral |
|
Flabellidae |
|
|
|
|
Gardineria minor |
|
|
|
Dendrophylliidae |
|
|
|
|
Tubastraea coccinea |
|
Orange Cup Coral = invasive from Indo-Pacific |
(1) A. grahamae is very difficult to identify witthouth
a microscopic and so it's presence in Belize has not been confirmed
by Doug Fenner
(2) Listed by Father Dieckman as Desmophyllum riisei
(3) In Father Dieckman's collection but not on his list.
Sources, Literature:
Cairns, S. D. 1982. Stony corals (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa,
Scleractinia) of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. In: Rutzler, K. and Macintyre,
I. C. (eds.). The Atlantic Barrier Reef Ecosystem at Carrie Bow
Cay, Belize, 1. Structure and communities. Smithsonian contributions
to the Marine Sciences No 12. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington
DC.
Dieckman, L. E. 19??. The Corals of Belize (Report
to Belize Audubon Society)
Fenner, D. 19??. Notes from Turneffe and Snake
Cays
Fenner, D. 1999. New observations on the stony coral (Scleractinia, Milleporidae, and Stylasteridae) species of Belize (Central America) and Cozumel, Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science 64: 143-154.
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