Orange Cup Coral
Tubastraea coccinea
Sighting evidence at MV Andes, Antigua and Barbuda
Photo: David R · CC BY-NC
Dense carpets of orange cup coral cover the upper superstructure and mast of the Andes, creating a vivid colour display that intensifies when polyps expand at dusk. This azooxanthellate species does not need sunlight, thriving on the shaded undersides of the hull and inside the holds where it filter-feeds on zooplankton. Its rapid colonisation of the wreck is a visible demonstration of how artificial reefs accelerate succession by hard-coral species.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Orange Cup Coral is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.