Black coral
Antipatharia spp.
Sighting evidence at Gladden Wall, Gladden Spit
Black coral trees at Gladden Wall grow on the shaded vertical face below 20 metres, some colonies reaching 2 metres in height and estimated to be centuries old. Despite the name the living polyps are white or cream; the black colour is the skeleton revealed only when the animal dies or is harvested. They provide critical structural habitat for arrow crabs, wire coral gobies, and longnose hawkfish perched on branch tips.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Black coral is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.