Orange Tubastraea, Tubastraea coccinea
Orange Tubastracea, Tubastraea coccinea. Underwater photograph taken in Zihuatanejo Bay, Guerrero, December 2019. Photograph and identification courtesy of Maude Jette, Dive Zihuatanejo, www.Divezihuatanejo.com.
Orange Tubastracea, Tubastraea coccinea. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, May 2023. Photograph courtesy of Kevin Erwin, Seattle, Washington.
Orange Tubastraea, Tubastraea coccinea. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Loreto, Baja California Sur, October 2024. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Phylogeny: The Orange Tubastraea, Tubastraea coccinea (Lesson, 1830) is a hexacoral in the Dendrophyllidae Family of Stony Corals. The genus Tubastraea is one of twenty-four genera in this family, and there are twelve species in this genus. This species is also known as the Orange Sun Coral or the Orange Cup Coral, though this name is also applied to the coral Ballanophyllia elegans. It is known in Mexico as tubastraea naranja.
Morphology: The Orange Tubastraea is a hard coral that grow in clumps, connected by a spongy calcareous base. The individual coralites consist of a cylindrical calcareous cup and a soft polyp. The cups measure 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) to 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) in diameter and up to 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) in height. The body of the polyp is deep red to orange in color and the tentacles are orange to yellow. The tentacles are located on the margin of the disk, giving the polyp a flower-like appearance. They are nocturnal and withdraw their tentacles when exposed to sunlight. The colonies can be up to 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter.
Habitat and Distribution: The Orange Tubastraea is found attached to rocks and other hard surfaces from the intertidal zone to depths up to 60 m (197 feet). Some sources extend the maximum depth to 110 m (361 feet). In shallow waters they prefer shaded areas such as crevices and under ledges. In Mexican Waters the Orange Tubastraea is native to the Pacific coast from Todos Santo, Baja California Sur and south to Guatemala including the southern half of the Gulf of California. Over time, this range has extended south to Peru. It has also spread to the Atlantic Ocean and can now be found in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts of Mexico, where it is considered an invasive species.
Diet: The Orange Tubastraea uses its stinging tentacles to capture zooplankton for food. They are azooxanthellate (lacking symbiotic algae), so they do not rely on sunlight to increase energy supplies. This allows them to live in deeper water than zoxanthellate corals.
Predators: Throughout its widespread native range the Orange Tubastraea is preyed upon by crabs, fish, gastropods, and nudibranchs. It produces a toxin that deters most predators, especially those outside its native range. On the Pacific coast of Mexico it’s primary predator is the Coral Wentletrap, Epitonium billeanum. The Coral Wentletrap not only eats the polyps, but it also lays its eggs on the coral. The Coral Wentletrap acquires a yellow coloration from eating the polyp, thereby becoming camouflaged while on its host.
Reproduction: The Orange Tubastraea is a simultaneous hermaphrodite (having both male and female reproductive organs). It has the ability to reproduce sexually or asexually. Sexual reproduction is accomplished indirectly, with sperm released into the water, to be received by another polyp, internally fertilizing the eggs of that polyp. The eggs develop into planktonic planula larva. Asexual reproduction is accomplished by budding.
Ecosystem Interaction: Within its native range the Orange Tubastraea does not appear to have any commensal or parasitic relationships. In the Caribbean, it is known to host the native Giant Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus giganteus, in what is believed to be a commensal relationship.
Human Interaction: The Orange Tubastraea is native to the tropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It has been introduced to the tropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean and has become invasive. It lacks predators in the Atlantic and it reproduces quickly. It physically displaces native corals and it secretes a toxin which causes tissue death in nearby corals. Once established in an area, the fish and invertebrate life in the area becomes less diverse. Efforts to remove existing populations of the Orange Tubastraea have had limited success. It is believed that the Orange Tubeastraea was introduced to the Atlantic Ocean via the in ballast water of ships or via aquarium releases. Within its native range, the Orange Tubastraea has limited impact on human activities. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated however they are fairly common with a wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern.
Synonyms: Astropsammia pedersenii, Caryophyllia aurantiaca, Caryophyllia calycularis, Cladocora calycularis, Coenopsammia affinis, Coenopsammia coccinea, Coenopsammia ehrenbergiana, Coenopsammia gaimardi, Coenopsammia manni, Coenopsammia radiata, Coenopsammia tenuilamellosa, Coenopsammia urvillii, Dendrophyllia (Coenopsammia) affinis, Dendrophyllia affinis, Dendrophyllia aurantiaca, Dendrophyllia circularis, Dendrophyllia coccinea, Dendrophyllia ehrenbergiana, Dendrophyllia manni, Dendrophyllia radiata, Dendrophyllia surcularis, Dendrophyllia tenuilamellosa, Dendrophyllia turbinata , Lobopsammia darwini, Pachypsammia valida, Pachysammia valida, Placopsammia darwini, Tubastaea coccinea, Tubastraea pedersenii, Tubastraea tenuilamellosa, Tubastrea circularis, Tubastrea coccinea, Tubastrea coccinia, Tubastrea turbinata, and Tubastreae coccinea.