Knob Coral
Dipsastraea speciosa
Knob coral is a colonial stony coral of clear, warm Indo-Pacific reefs, forming rounded mounds and broad encrusting patches. Its tiny polyps extend mainly at night to catch zooplankton and organic particles with stinging tentacles, while symbiotic algae provide much of its energy in daylight. The colony’s closely packed, meandering-looking corallites give its surface a distinctive patterned texture. It is a simultaneous hermaphrodite that releases gametes into the water for broadcast spawning.
- Type
- Water / Venom
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Knob Coral