Stylophora madagascarensis

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Stylophora madagascarensis · Authority: Veron, 2000 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 287777.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Stylophora madagascariensis Veron, 2000.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=287777 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

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

Maximum length: 0.5 cm · Depth range: 0–30 m · Habitat zone: sessile · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100.

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 45644) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Stylophora-madagascarensis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

34 georeferenced occurrence records for Stylophora madagascarensis are published through GBIF from 6 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 15 distinct locations from a sample of 34 records, omitting 3 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: Yemen (11); Madagascar (6); Tanzania, United Republic of (6); South Africa (6); Seychelles (4); Oman (1).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: South West Indian Ocean.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5184527) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5184527&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=287777 (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 Stylophora madagascarensis Veron, 2000 as Vulnerable (code VU). 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 132943) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/132943/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5184527) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5184527/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Stylophora madagascarensis is a colonial species of coral forming clumps of slender, compact branches with blunt ends. The branches are up to 5 mm in diameter. The corallites (stony cups in which the polyps sit) are crowded and circular, with those near the tips of the branches often being hooded. The corallites have six septa (stony plates forming the wall of the corallite) fused to a central, style-like columella. The coenosteum (the coral's stony skeleton) is covered with tiny spines. This is a zooxanthellate species of coral, the tissues of which harbour single-celled dinoflagellates living in symbiosis with the coral and providing it with nourishment. The polyps expand to feed at night and are retracted during the daytime. This coral is pale brown in colour, sometimes with pinkish bases to the branches.

This coral is endemic to the coasts of Madagascar. It grows in shallow water, both on moderately exposed reefs and in more sheltered lagoons, where it tends to have longer branches.

This species is common around the coasts of Madagascar but the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "vulnerable". This is because the reefs around Madagascar are being degraded at such a rate that it is estimated that 45% of the habitat will be lost by 2050 (estimated to be three generations for corals). The chief threats faced by corals are associated with climate change, ocean acidification, increasing severity of storms and rising seawater temperatures, resulting in coral bleaching and an increased susceptibility of corals to disease. Its small total population size makes this coral more vulnerable to these threats than a more widespread species.

Source: Wikipedia: Stylophora madagascarensis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylophora_madagascarensis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.