California Academy of Sciences, Philippine Coral Reef Gallery
The Philippine Coral Reef Tank focuses on the most diverse and fragile of marine ecosystems. From the main exhibit floor, visitors look down on a shallow, sandy lagoon -a calm, protected area inhabited by sharks, rays, and colorful fishes. Where the lagoon drops off to the deep reef, hundreds ...more ↓
Zoanthus
Zoanthus is a genus of soft coral, anthozoans in the order Zoanthidae. It is the name genus for its family and order.
Bubble-tip Anemone
Entacmaea quadricolor, commonly called Bubble-tip anemone among other various vernaculair name, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae.
Acanthastrea
Acanthastrea is a genus of large polyp stony corals. The colonies are massive and usually flat. The corallites are either circular or angular in shape. The septae are thick near the wall of the corallite, becoming thin near the columella, and have tall teeth. The polyps are extended only at night.
Table, Elkhorn, and Staghorn Corals
Acropora is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the Phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described.Acropora is one of the major reef corals responsible for building the immense calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef.
Cnidarians
Cnidaria (/naɪˈdɛəriə/ with a silent c) is a phylum containing over 10,000species of animals found exclusively in aquatic and mostly marine environments. Their distinguishing feature is cnidocytes, specialized cells that they use mainly for capturing prey. Their bodies consist of mesoglea, a non-living jelly-like substance, sandwiched between two layers of epithelium that are ...more ↓
Cynarina lacrymalis
Cynarina is a genus of stony coral in the family Mussidae. It is monotypic and the only species in the genus is Cynarina lacrymalis. It is variously known as the flat cup coral, the solitary cup coral, the button, doughnut or cat's eye coral. It is found in the western Indo-Pacific Ocean and is sometimes kept in reef aquaria.
Euphyllia
Euphyllia is a genus of large-polyped stony coral. Several species are commonly found in marine aquariums. The genus includes the following species:
Hammer Coral
Euphyllia ancora, commonly called Anchor coral or Crescent-tentacled coral among various other vernacular names, is a species of hard coral in the family Euphylliidae.
Euphyllia cristata
Euphyllia cristata, commonly called Grape coral, is a species of hard coral in the family Euphylliidae.
Euphyllia divisa
Euphyllia divisa, commonly known as frogspawn and sometimes misspelled Euphyllia divisia, is a large-polyped stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific islands. It is a commonly kept species in the marine aquarium hobby. The related coral Euphyllia paradivisa is frequently misidentified as frogspawn leading to some confusion. Euphyllia divisa has a ...more ↓
Favia
Favia is a genus of reef building stony corals in the family Faviidae. Members of the genus are massive or thickly encrusting colonial corals, either dome-shaped or flat, and a few are foliaceous. There is a great diversity of form even among individuals of the same species. The corallites project slightly above the surface of the coral and each has its own wall. In most ...more ↓
Fungia
Fungia is a genus of mushroom, disc or plate corals in the family Fungiidae. Members of the genus are found growing on reefs in the Indo-Pacific.
Galaxea
Galaxea is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Oculinidae. Common names include crystal, galaxy, starburst and tooth coral. They are abundant on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea. They are found in water less than 20 metres (66 ft) deep and favour turbid sites. They are sometimes kept in reef aquaria.
Galaxea fascicularis
Galaxea fascicularis is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Oculinidae, commonly known as octopus coral, fluorescence grass coral, galaxy coral among various vernacular names.
Gorgoniidae
Gorgoniidae is a family of soft corals, a member of the subclass Octocorallia in the phylum Cnidaria. Nearly all the genera and species are native to the east and west coasts of America.
Heliopora
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. 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 ...more ↓
blue coral
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. 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 ...more ↓
Magnificent Sea Anemone
Heteractis magnifica, also known by the common names magnificent sea anemone or Ritteri anemone, is a species of sea anemone that lives in the Indo-Pacific area, and can grow up to 1 metre (3 feet) in diameter in the wild. It can be kept in aquaria but is considered one of the most challenging species to keep healthy. They require very strong lighting and very high ...more ↓
Lobo Corals
Lobophyllia, commonly called lobo coral, is a genus of large polyp stony corals. Members of this genus are sometimes found in reef aquariums. It includes the following species:
Lobophyllia hemprichii
Lobophyllia, commonly called lobo coral, is a genus of large polyp stony corals. Members of this genus are sometimes found in reef aquariums. It includes the following species:
Montipora
Montipora is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Depending on the species and location, Montipora may grow as plates or ridges, appearing to some as a bowl or flower. Undisturbed, the plates expand radially and may encrust over surrounding rocks, shells or debris. These corals are extremely common on reefs in the Red Sea, the western Indian Ocean ...more ↓
Montipora capricornis
Montipora capricornis, also known as Leaf plate Montipora, Vase Coral, Cap coral, or simply Montipora, is a type of SPS (Small Polyp Stony) coral in the genus Montipora.
Montipora digitata
Finger coral, Montipora digitata, is a species of stony coral. It is found in East Africa, the Indo-West Pacific, Kenya, Mozambique and Rodriguez.
Bubble Coral
Plerogyra sinuosa is a species of "bubble coral". It has grape-sized bubbles which increase their surface area according to the amount of light available: they are larger during the day, but smaller during the night, when tentacles reach out to capture food. This species requires low light and a gentle water flow. Common names for Plerogyra sinuosa include "grape coral", ...more ↓
brush corals
Pocillopora, is a genus of stony corals in the family Pocilloporidae occurring in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are commonly called cauliflower corals and brush corals.
Cauliflower Coral
Pocillopora damicornis, the cauliflower coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are two subspecies, P. d bulbosa and P. d caespitosa.
Porites
Porites is a genus of stony coral; they are SPS (Small Polyp Stony) corals. They are characterised by a finger-like morphology. Members of this genus have widely spaced calices, a well-developed wall reticulum and are bilaterally symmetrical. Porites, particularly Porites lutea, often form microatolls. Corals of the genus Porites also often serve as hosts for ...more ↓
Coral
Porites lobata, known by the common name lobe coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Poritidae. It is found growing on coral reefs in tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Sarcophyton
In the Plant Kingdom (Plantae), Sarcophyton is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae: Sarcophyton (plant) In the Animal Kingdom (Animalia), Sarcophyton is a genus of soft coral in the family Alcyoniidae: ?? <!-- NewPP limit report Parsed by mw1220 CPU time usage: 0.056 seconds Real time usage: 0.071 seconds Preprocessor ...more ↓
Scoly Corals
Scolymia, commonly called Scoly coral, is a genus of large polyp stony corals. Members of this genus are sometimes found in reef aquariums.
Stichodactyla gigantea
Stichodactyla gigantea, commonly known as the giant carpet anemone is a species of sea anemone that lives in the Indo-Pacific area, with a diameter usually no larger than 50 centimetres (1.6 ft) and a maximum of 80 centimetres (2.6 ft). It can be kept in an aquarium but is a very challenging species to keep alive and healthy for more than 3–5 years.
Stylophora pistillata
Stylophora pistillata (common names hood coral and smooth cauliflower coral) is a species of coral that is commonly used in scientific investigations. It is home to gall crabs, Trapezia crabs, boring clams, date mussles (Lithophaga), barnacles, Christmas tree worms and damselfish. Some such as Lithophaga are parasites that weaken the coral ...more ↓
Spotted Jellyfish
The spotted jelly, lagoon jelly, golden medusa, or Papuan jellyfish (Mastigias papua) is a species of jellyfish from the Indo-Pacific. Instead of one single mouth, they have several smaller mouth openings in their oral arms, which are used to feed on zooplankton.
Tubastraea
Tubastraea, also known as sun coral or sun polyps, is a genus of coral in the phylum Cnidaria. It is a cup coral in the family Dendrophylliidae.
Agaricia
Agaricia is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Agariciidae. These corals are found in shallow waters in the West Indies.
Boulder Brain Coral
Colpophyllia natans, known as boulder brain coral and large-grooved brain coral, is a species of stony coral found primarily in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It inhabits the slopes and tops of reefs, to a maximum depth of fifty metres. It is characterised by large, domed colonies, which may be up to two metres across, and by the meandering network of ...more ↓
Giant Anemone
Condylactis gigantea is a tropical species of sea anemone that is found in coral reefs and other shallow inshore areas in the Caribbean Sea – more specifically the West Indies – and the western Atlantic Ocean including southern Florida through the Florida Keys. It is also commonly known as: giant Caribbean sea anemone, giant golden anemone, condylactis anemone, Haitian anemone, ...more ↓
Diploria
Diploria is a genus of massive reef building stony corals in the family Faviidae, commonly known as the brain corals. Three species are currently recognized, all found in the West Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Eusmilia
Eusmilia is a genus of stony coral (Scleractinia) in the family Meandrinidae. It is a monotypic genus: the only species is Eusmilia fastigiata, the smooth flower coral. It is found on reefs in the Caribbean area.
mustard hill coral
Porites astreoides is a colonial species of stony coral in the family Poritidae. Its common name is the mustard hill coral or the yellow porites. It is a common species growing in shallow water on reefs in the western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea.
massive starlet coral
Siderastrea siderea, the massive starlet coral or round starlet coral, is a stony coral in the family Siderastreidae. It is found in shallow parts of the western Atlantic Ocean as solid boulder-shaped or domed structures.
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
The open brain corals, Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, are just one of thousands of classifications of coral. They are named as such due to their resemblance to an inverted animal brain as seen by the human eye. As the name also suggests, the open brain corals are related to the many other species of brain corals found in shallow warm-water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. The ...more ↓
fire corals
Fire corals are colonial marine organisms that look rather like real coral. Technically they are not corals, since they are more closely related to jellyfish and other stinging anemones. They are members of the phylum Cnidaria, class Hydrozoa, order Capitata, family Milleporidae.
