Blue coral

Blue coral
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Anthozoa
Subclass:	Octocorallia
Order:	Helioporacea
Family:	Helioporidae
Genus:	Heliopora
Species:	H. coerulea
Binomial name
Heliopora coerulea Pallas, 1766

Blue coral or Heliopora coerulea is a coral. It is the only species in the family Helioporidae and the only Octocoral known to produce a massive skeleton.^[2] This skeleton is formed of aragonite, similar to that of scleractinia. Individual polyps live in tubes within the skeleton and are connected by a thin layer of tissue over the outside of the skeleton. It is a common member of shallow coral reefs and is found extensively throughout the Indo-Pacific including Ryukyu Islands in southwest Japan, Coral Sea in northeast Australia and American Samoa. The largest blue coral colony in the world is thought to be off of Ishigaki Island of the Yaeyama Islands, in southwest Japan.

Due to its unusual blue colour and being fairly tolerant of conditions it can be used in tropical aquariums.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Heliopora coerulea

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heliopora coerulea.

• "Heliopora coerulea". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 

References

Corals and coral reefs Stony corals Scleractinia Blue coral Brain coral Elkhorn coral Hermatypic coral Chalice coral Pillar coral Staghorn coral Table coral Soft corals Alcyonacea Black coral Bamboo coral Organ pipe coral Sea fans Sea pens Coral reefs Atoll reef Cay Fringing reef Microatoll Coral reef fish Census of Coral Reefs The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs Catlin Seaview Survey Coral regions Deep-water coral African coral reefs Andros, Bahamas Belize Barrier Reef Coral Sea Islands Coral Triangle Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Great Barrier Reef Maldives Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System New Caledonia Barrier Reef Pulley Ridge Raja Ampat Islands Red Sea Southeast Asian coral reefs Coral diseases Coral bleaching Black band disease Skeletal eroding band White band disease White pox disease Protection Coral Reef Alliance Coral reef protection Green Fins International Society for Reef Studies Project AWARE Reef Check Reef Ball Other Artificial reef Coral aquaculture Coral dermatitis Coral (precious) Coral rag Coral reef organizations Coral sand Coralline algae Human impact Fire coral Reef resilience Rugosa (extinct) Symbiodinium Tabulate (extinct)