Research Station Carmabi

Coral ID: Braincorals

Coral Identification for Curacaoan coral species (permantly under construction)

This set of pictures aims to show the differences between coral species that are often “mistaken” for one another. Because terminology to describe each species is often subjective (i.e. has larger polyps or smaller ridges) having both species in one picture might help to get a better idea of how such closely related/ similar looking “species” can be distinguished from one another. Be aware that for the purpose of this page, we use the “conversational species concept”, which is simply intended to describe the variation that exists in morphological features of Caribbean corals around Curacao.

For Montastraea corals (“star corals”)
For Agaricid corals (“plating corals”)
For braincorals (well….) see below
For everything else,
Braincoralidae

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Diploria clivosa (right)

Diploria clivosa (left) and Diploria strigosa (right)

Diploria clivosa (left) and Diploria strigosa (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Diploria clivosa (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Diploria clivosa (right)

Two different morphs of Diploria clivosa

Two different morphs of Diploria strigosa

Two different morphs of Diploria strigosa

Two different morphs of Diploria strigosa

Colpophylia natans (left) and Diploria strigosa (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria clivosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria labyrinthiformis (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria labyrinthiformis (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Diploria labyrinthiformis (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and Diploria labyrinthiformis (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and Meandrina meandrites (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and Meandrina meandrites (right)

Meandrina meandrites (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and Meandrina meandrites (right)

Meandrina meandrites (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Meandrina meandrites (left), Colpophylia natans (right) and Diploria strigosa (middle)

Meandrina meandrites (left), Colpophylia natans (middle) and Diploria strigosa (right)

Two morphoypes of Colpophylia natans (top right and left)

Colpophylia natans (top right and left) and Mycetophyllia aliciae (bottom)

Colpophylia natans (left) and Diploria strigosa (right)

Mycetophyllia ferox (left) and Diploria strigosa (right)

Diploria strigosa (left) and Colpophylia natans (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and Meandrina meandrites (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and a different morph of the same species (right)

Colpophylia natans (left) and a different morph of the same species (right)

Two different morphs of Colpophylia natans

Two different morphs of Colpophylia natans

Two different morphs of Colpophylia natans

Two different morphs of Colpophylia natans

Two colormorphs of Colpophylia natans

Colpophylia natans can have sudden changes in color of its ridges and valleys on its surface

Colpophylia natans (left) and Dendrogyra cylindrus (right)

Dendrogyra cylindrus (left) and Meandrina meandrites (right)

Two morphotypes of Meandrina meandrites