Dipsastraea pallida

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Cnidaria · Class: Hexacorallia · Order: Scleractinia · Family: Merulinidae · Genus: Dipsastraea.

Accepted name: Dipsastraea pallida · Authority: (Dana, 1846) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 758233.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Astraea (Favia) okeni (Haime & Milne Edwards, 1857); Astraea (Favia) tubulifera (Klunzinger, 1879); Astraea (Fissicella) denticulata Dana, 1846; Astraea (Fissicella) pallida Dana, 1846; Astraea cellulosa Verrill, 1872; Astraea denticulata Dana, 1846; Astraea doreyensis (Haime & Milne Edwards, 1857); Astraea okeni (Haime & Milne Edwards, 1857); Astraea ordinata Verrill, 1866; Astraea pallida Dana, 1846; Astraea putnami Verrill, 1872; Astrea (Favia) ordinata Verrill, 1866; Astrea cellulosa Verrill, 1872; Astrea okeni (Haime & Milne Edwards, 1857); Astrea ordinata (Verrill, 1866); Astrea pallida (Dana, 1846); Favia amplior (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849); Favia cellulosa (Verrill, 1872); Favia denticulata (Dana, 1846); Favia doreyensis (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849); Favia laccadivica Gardiner, 1904; Favia okeni Haime & Milne Edwards, 1857; Favia pallida (Dana, 1846); Favia pallida var. amplior (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849); Favia pallida var. densisepta Chevalier, 1971.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=758233 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Dipsastraea pallida. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Depth range: 6–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated.

SeaLifeBase notes: Minimum depth from Ref. 104515. Found in all reef environments, often a dominant species of back reef margins (Ref. 848). Also on subtidal rock, rocky reefs, outer reef channel, back and foreslope and lagoons; occasionally in inter-reef soft substrate (Ref. 98471). Tends to form low heads or encrust rocks in shallow waters (Ref. 130769).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 46726) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Dipsastraea-pallida.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,970 georeferenced occurrence records for Dipsastraea pallida are published through GBIF from 41 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 225 distinct locations from a sample of 1,970 records, omitting 40 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Australia (1,136); Japan (304); British Indian Ocean Territory (58); Indonesia (46); Mayotte (46).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 7604452) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=7604452&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=758233 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Dipsastraea pallida (Dana, 1846) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 132936) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/132936/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 7604452) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/7604452/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Dipsastraea pallida is a colonial coral forming solid rounded mounds. In shallow water, the corallites (stony cups in which the polyps sit) are circular and set closely together, while in deeper water locations, they are more scattered. The septa (radiating vertical plates forming part of the corallite wall) are widely spaced and often irregular. The palliform lobes (blades rising from the inner margins of the septa) are small. This coral is usually cream-coloured, green or pale yellow, the oral discs of the polyps often being a contrasting colour.

Dipsastraea pallida has a widespread distribution in the tropical Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Its range extends from the East African coast, Madagascar, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through the Indian Ocean to southeastern Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and the South China Sea, western, northern and eastern Australia and various archipelagoes in the western Pacific Ocean. It is found in various rocky reef habitats and is often the dominant species on the fringes of back reefs. It occurs at depths down to 50 m or more.

Dipsastraea pallida is one of several species of corals in the Indo-Pacific region that are bioeroded by the sponge Cliona orientalis, which tunnels into its skeletal structure.

This coral is collected for the reef aquarium trade, with a quota of around 5000 live pieces exported per annum from Indonesia, the main exporter. However, this is a common species with a wide range and presumed large total population, and the largest threats it faces come from habitat loss, climate change and ocean acidification. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Source: Wikipedia: Dipsastraea pallida — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipsastraea_pallida (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

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