Blue crust coral (Porites branneri)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from SeaLifeBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Porites branneri, known by the common name blue crust coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Poritidae. It is found growing on reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the northern and eastern coasts of South America.
- Scientific name
- Porites branneri
- Authority
- Rathbun, 1888
- Family
- Poritidae
- Order
- Scleractinia
- Depth range
- 1–30 m
- Habitat zone
- reef-associated
- Iucn red list
- Near Threatened
- Gbif occurrence records
- 6,027
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Cnidaria · Class: Hexacorallia · Order: Scleractinia · Family: Poritidae · Genus: Porites.
Accepted name: Porites branneri · Authority: Rathbun, 1888 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 288892.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=288892 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)
Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Porites branneri. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Depth range: 1–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated.
SeaLifeBase notes: Zooxanthellate (Refs. 116012, 121684). On rocky reef of shallow waters (Ref. 121684).
Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 45698) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Porites-branneri.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
6,027 georeferenced occurrence records for Porites branneri are published through GBIF from 23 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 33 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 9 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: Virgin Islands (U.S.) (4,726); Brazil (658); Puerto Rico (375); United States of America (143); Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (38).
The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5184754) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5184754&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=288892 (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 Porites branneri Rathbun, 1887 as Near Threatened (code NT). 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 132921) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/132921/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5184754) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5184754/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
P. branneri is an encrusting coral that forms patches up to 15 cm in diameter with knobbly projections some 2.5 cm across. The corallites are small and pentagonal, giving the surface of the coral a pitted appearance when the polyps are retracted. When the polyps are extended to feed, the surface appears fuzzy. This coral is pale blue, lilac or purple in colour.
P. branneri is native to shallow water habitats in the southern Caribbean Sea and the northern coasts of South America. Its range includes Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and northern and eastern Brazil, between Ceará and Cabo Frio. It occurs on reefs, in channels and pools in the intertidal zone, in places with vigorous movement of water, to a maximum depth of 3 m.
The greatest threat that this coral faces is loss of habitat due to damage to the shallow water reefs where it lives. It is susceptible to coral diseases but fairly resistant to coral bleaching. In general it is an uncommon species, although it is rather more common growing among thickets of Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) in the southern Caribbean. Although no precise population figures or trends are known, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the conservation status of this coral as near threatened.
Source: Wikipedia: Porites branneri — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porites_branneri (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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