Puako, Hawaii, 20 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 30 feet

Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, 10 feet

Puako, Hawaii, 20 feet

Skeleton, Puako, Hawaii, 20 feet

Juveniles, Puako, Hawaii, 20 feet

Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet

YO-257 wreck, Oahu, 80 feet

Mahi Wreck, Oahu, 80 feet

Vandenburg wreck, Key West, 70 feet

YO-257 wreck, Oahu, 80 feet

Sea Cave, Oahu, 30 feet

Puako, Hawaii, 20 feet

Night diving among ledges and cavern ceilings covered by Tubastraea coral is truly a macro photographer's dream-come-true.  These beautiful corals extend their 3/4 inch long tentacles to feed upon zooplankton at night.  During the day the tentacles are retracted into deep circular calices.  The outside of these calices are quite smooth and well-developed colonies are composed of many mouths.  Larger and more brightly colored than Oval Cup Coral.   Avoid spending much time under cavern ceilings where these corals live, since trapped air bubbles will cause animals on the ceiling to die.  It is preyed upon by the frilly orange slug Phestilla melanobrachia.  Worldwide in warm seas.

All coral skeletons illustrated are from scientific collections taken prior to 1998.