(Redirected from Black Coral)
'Black coral' is a term given to a group of deep water, tree-like
coral related to
sea anemone which normally occurs in the
tropics although it is also found in shallow water non-tropical areas such as
Milford Sound in
New Zealand where it can be seen in an underwater observatory.
Though its living tissue is brilliantly colored, black coral takes its name from the distinctive black or dark brown color of its skeleton. Also unique to black coral are the tiny spines that cover the surface of the skeleton, the origin of the nickname 'little thorn coral'. In the
Hawaiian language, black coral is called ''‘ēkaha kū moana'' and is the official state gem of
Hawaii. Black coral is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (
CITES).
External links
★ ''Antipathidae'' entry at
Animal Diversity Web
★
★ National Geographic,
Research Expedition Aimed at Halting Loss of Black Coral
★ ARKive, Identification of black corals
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