Rough Cactus Coral

Description:

Photo take at -40 ft on a coral reef, common coral on the Caribbean waters.These are thin plates or form encrusting colonies. They have well developed series of valleys which cover the entire surface of the coral. The walls of the valleys commonly join to form closed valleys, a feature not seen in other members of Mycetophyllia. The ridges are usually small and square, with a groove on top.The ridges, or walls between valleys, are commonly quite thin, and are irregular, and valleys are narrower. Colours are dull grey, reddish brown, dark green, brown, and usually ridges and polyp mouths are a lighter colour. Polyps are often pink.

Habitat:

Inhabit most moderate to deep reefs environments, down to 70 m, while M. ferox tends to inhabit shaded areas of midrange reefs, down to 40 m.Found from Florida all the Caribbean sea to north Brazil.