Elliptical Star Coral, Dichocoenia stokesi

Elliptical Star Coral, Dichocoenia stokesii. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo, March 2021. Photograph courtesy of Marina Sutormina, Stockholm, Sweden. Identification courtesy of Mark Walenta, Miami, Florida.

Phylogeny:  Dichocoenia stokesii is a member of the monotypic genus Dichocoenia. In addition to the name Elliptical Star Coral, it is also referred to as Pancake Star Coral and Pineapple Coral. This species is a member of the Meandrinidae Family of Stony Corals.

Morphology:  The color of the Elliptical Star Coral can be cream, yellow, or brown. It forms in a spherical or flattened shapes that can be up to 40 cm (15.7 inches). The texture appears rough due to the corallites protrusions that form in characteristic circular, oval, or elliptical patterns.

Habitat & Distribution:  This species is found in the fore reef, back reef, and the reef base. It can be found in both the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. While its range extends from Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, including the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda, it is only native to Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean archipelago, including Trinidad and Tobago.

Diet:  All species of stony corals feed on small plankton, small invertebrates, or organic matter in the water.

Behavior:  The ellliptical star coral is nocturnal. During the day, its polyps are withdrawn within the corallites. At night, they are extended to capture their prey with nematocysts.

Reproduction:  This species of stony coral is gonochoric, and it has the ability to reproduce both sexually, via spawning, or asexually, via budding. Sexual reproduction occurs when separate colonies release gametes into the water and the sperm fertilizes the eggs, resulting in a juvenile larval form

Ecosystem Interaction:  Most reef-building corals commonly form symbiotic relationships with single-celled green algae that live within their tissues. These microscopic algae are called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae feed on the nitrogenous waste from the coral while supplying it with the organic products of photosynthesis.

Endangerment:  The Elliptical Star Coral is significantly more resilient to higher water temperatures than other species of stony corals.

Synonyms:  Astraea (Fissicella) porcata, Astraea porcata, Astrea porcata, Dichocoenia cassiopea, Dichocoenia elliptica , Dichocoenia equinoxialis, Dichocoenia pauciflora, Dichocoenia porcata, Dichocoenia pulcherrima, Dichocoenia stellaris, Dichocoenia stokesi, Dichocoenia stokesi f. stellaris, Dichocoenia stokesi f. stokesi, Diploria stokesii, Favia porcata, Madrepora porcata, Matrepora porcata