Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766)
The blue coral also referred as „blue fire coral“ is a member of the order Helioporacea. Blue corals are thus named for their distinctive, permanently blue skeleton, which is generally hidden by greenish-grey or blue polyps. It is often mistaken for a small polyp stony (SPS) coral because of its hard blue exoskeleton, but it is an octocoral (soft coral) and its growth forms are branching. The body is composed of iron salts, which lend its distinctive blue color.
Blue corals contain [Further read] the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae from which they receives the majority of the nutritional requirements through photosynthesis, but it will also feed on micro-plankton or foods for filter feeding invertebrates.
Synonymised names
Heliopora caerulea (Pallas, 1766) · unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling
Heliopora coerulea coerulea (Pallas, 1766) · unaccepted > junior objective synonym
Heliopora coerulea meandrina Dana, 1846 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Heliopora coerulea tuberosa Dana, 1846 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Heliopora meandrina Dana, 1846 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Heliopora sparsipora Felix, 1921 † · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Helipora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) · unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling
Millepora coerulea Pallas, 1766 · unaccepted > superseded combination (basionym)
Direct children (3)
Subspecies Heliopora coerulea coerulea (Pallas, 1766) accepted as Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) (unaccepted > junior objective synonym)
Subspecies Heliopora coerulea meandrina Dana, 1846 accepted as Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Subspecies Heliopora coerulea tuberosa Dana, 1846 accepted as Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
The blue coral also referred as „blue fire coral“ is a member of the order Helioporacea. Blue corals are thus named for their distinctive, permanently blue skeleton, which is generally hidden by greenish-grey or blue polyps. It is often mistaken for a small polyp stony (SPS) coral because of its hard blue exoskeleton, but it is an octocoral (soft coral) and its growth forms are branching. The body is composed of iron salts, which lend its distinctive blue color.
Blue corals contain [Further read] the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae from which they receives the majority of the nutritional requirements through photosynthesis, but it will also feed on micro-plankton or foods for filter feeding invertebrates.
Synonymised names
Heliopora caerulea (Pallas, 1766) · unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling
Heliopora coerulea coerulea (Pallas, 1766) · unaccepted > junior objective synonym
Heliopora coerulea meandrina Dana, 1846 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Heliopora coerulea tuberosa Dana, 1846 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Heliopora meandrina Dana, 1846 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Heliopora sparsipora Felix, 1921 † · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Helipora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) · unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling
Millepora coerulea Pallas, 1766 · unaccepted > superseded combination (basionym)
Direct children (3)
Subspecies Heliopora coerulea coerulea (Pallas, 1766) accepted as Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) (unaccepted > junior objective synonym)
Subspecies Heliopora coerulea meandrina Dana, 1846 accepted as Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Subspecies Heliopora coerulea tuberosa Dana, 1846 accepted as Heliopora coerulea (Pallas, 1766) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
