GREAT STAR CORAL SCAVANGER HUNT 5
MONTASTRAEA CAVERNOSA
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least concerned
DESCRIPTION:
This stunning and iconic reef coral forms massive boulders of bright and colourful fleshy polyps and has been recorded at depts of almost 300 feet, yet most occupy depths between 30 - 90 feet. This species can tolerate ‘muddy’ and silty water given it has high sediment rejection capabilities due to its shape and long tentacles which can ‘sweep’ to remove accumulated debris on the coral’s surface. Using these tentacles, this coral is also particularly aggressive in its defence of space, which is a commodity on coral reefs!