Blue purple goniopora (Goniopora tenuidens)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Goniopora tenuidens · Authority: (Quelch, 1886) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 207211.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Rhodaraea tenuidens Quelch, 1886.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=207211 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

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

Depth range: 1–20 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated.

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 45689) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Goniopora-tenuidens.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

517 georeferenced occurrence records for Goniopora tenuidens are published through GBIF from 11 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 103 distinct locations from a sample of 517 records, omitting 8 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 (391); Japan (47); Indonesia (27); Réunion (21); New Caledonia (13); Philippines (6); Christmas Island (3); Oman (3); India (2); Niue (2); Yemen (2).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Réunion Exclusive Economic Zone; Mauritian Exclusive Economic Zone; Chagos; Indo-West Pacific; Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone; Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone; Australian Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2260450) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2260450&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=207211 (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 Goniopora tenuidens (Quelch, 1886) 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 133054) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/133054/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2260450) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2260450/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Colonies of this species form solid hemispherical or irregular mounds. The corallites (the stony cups in which the polyps sit) are small and rounded, each having six palliform lobes (stony blades) on their inner margins. The polyps are of a distinctive appearance being of regular length and topped with a uniform bundle of tentacles. The colour of this coral may be bluish, green or brown and the tentacles may be tipped with white.

Goniopora tenuidens is native to the tropical Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Its range extends from Madagascar, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through the western, central and eastern Indian Ocean to southeastern Asia, Indonesia, Japan and the South China Sea, northern and eastern Australia and island groups in the western Pacific Ocean. It is found subtidally in various reef habitats and in lagoons, at depths down to about 30 m.

Goniopora tenuidens is one of several species of corals that are bioeroded by the sponge Cliona orientalis, which tunnels into its skeletal structure.

This is a common species of coral with a wide range and a presumed large total population. It is more resistant than many corals to bleaching and coral diseases. The main threat faced by corals is destruction of their reef habitats, through climate change, with increased incidence of severe storms, and ocean acidification. Despite corals in the genus Goniopora often being collected for the aquarium trade, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the conservation status of this species as being of "least concern".

Source: Wikipedia: Goniopora tenuidens — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goniopora_tenuidens (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.