Orbicella faveolata
A slow-growing Caribbean coral endangered by disease and bleaching.
Orbicella faveolata, also called mountainous star coral, is a colonial stony coral belonging to the family Merulinidae. It lives in the shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This species was previously known as Montastraea faveolata.
The coral forms large, solid mounds with a skirt-like edge. Its surface is smooth and wavy, dotted with small bumps, bulges, or lobes. The corallites—the stony cups that hold the polyps—are about 5 mm across and cover the entire surface. Colors range from pale brown, yellowish green, or grey to deep brown, sometimes with fluorescent green highlights. It is part of a species complex that includes the closely related Orbicella annularis and Orbicella franksi. O. annularis has more distinct nodules or small columns, while O. franksi has a more irregular, lumpy surface.
This coral is found in shallow waters across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, including Florida, the Bahamas, Venezuela, and possibly Bermuda. It grows on both the back reef and fore reef slopes of fringing reefs, down to depths of 40 meters. It is often the most abundant coral on fore reef slopes between 10 and 20 meters deep.
Like other corals, O. faveolata has a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae, commonly called zooxanthellae. These live in large numbers within the coral’s living tissue. Different species of Symbiodiniaceae associate with the coral depending on light intensity. When researchers shaded parts of the coral for several weeks, the endosymbionts died in the shaded area. After light returned, zooxanthellae came back, but often a different species replaced the original one. The coral also hosts a diverse microbiome of bacteria, archaea, and zooxanthellae, which shift with the coral’s health. O. faveolata is affected by several diseases, including yellow-band disease.
O. faveolata is related to lobed star coral (O. annularis) and boulder star coral (O. franksi), all found in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, including the Bahamas and Bermuda. Two other species, Paramontastraea saleborsa and Astrea curta, have similarly sized corallites. P. saleborsa was also once placed in the genus Montastraea.
This coral grows slowly, and new colonies form at a slower rate than mature ones die.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Orbicella faveolata
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Orbicella faveolata forms solid, very large mound-shaped colonies with a skirt and a smooth, undulating surface featuring small lumps, bulges, or lobes. The corallites, about 5 mm in diameter, cover the entire surface. Its color is usually pale brown, yellowish green, or grey, but may be deep brown with fluorescent green highlights. This coral is part of a species complex including the closely related Orbicella annularis and Orbicella franksi; the former has more distinct nodules or small columns, while the latter has a more irregular, lumpy surface.
Orbicella faveolata occurs in shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, including Florida, the Bahamas, Venezuela, and possibly Bermuda. It is found on both back reef and fore reef slopes of fringing reefs at depths up to 40 m, and is often the most abundant coral species on fore reef slopes between 10 and 20 m. Like other corals, it has a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae (zooxanthellae). Different species of Symbiodiniaceae associate with the coral depending on light intensity; artificial shading caused the endosymbionts to die out, and when light was restored, the original species was sometimes replaced by a different species.
The coral has a diverse microbiome of zooxanthellae, bacteria, and archaea, which are affected by the coral's health. Orbicella faveolata is affected by multiple diseases including yellow-band disease. It is related to lobed star coral (Orbicella annularis) and boulder star coral (Orbicella franksi). The species Paramontastraea saleborsa and Astrea curta have similarly sized corallites; P. saleborsa was also formerly placed in the genus Montastraea.
Reader's Guide
Orbicella faveolata is notable as a slow-growing, endangered coral species in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Its population has declined by over 50% in the last thirty years, with the rate of new colony formation less than the rate of mature colony death. It is susceptible to bleaching and several coral diseases, including stony coral tissue loss disease, yellow-band disease, black band disease, and white plague. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists its conservation status as endangered. The coral's symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae is dynamic; different species of Symbiodiniaceae associate with it depending on light intensity, and shading experiments showed that the symbionts can die out and be replaced by different species when light is restored. This coral is part of a species complex with Orbicella annularis and Orbicella franksi, and its former name was Montastraea faveolata. Its presence on both back reef and fore reef slopes, and its abundance on fore reef slopes between 10 and 20 meters, highlight its ecological role in shallow Caribbean reef systems.
Did You Know?
- Orbicella faveolata was formerly known as Montastraea faveolata.
- Its corallites are about 5 mm in diameter.
More in Brain and Merulinid Corals 1-24
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