Home > Corals > Cup Corals

Updated 2/28/2024

Family Dendrophylliidae

Cup Corals

Cup corals are non-reef building species that inhabit shaded vertical surface and caverns down to great depths.  There are only two species likely to be seen while scuba diving in Hawaii.  They rely upon capturing zooplankton as food and extend beautiful translucent tentacles at night.  Cup corals are also found in very cold water throughout the world.

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

 

INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII

Tubastraea coccinea

ORANGE CUP CORAL

 

Tubastraea sp. 1

PINK CUP CORAL

 

Tubastraea sp. 3

BROWN CUP CORAL

 

Rhizopsammia verrilli

VERRILL'S CUP CORAL

 

Cladopsammia eguchii

OVAL CUP CORAL

 

 


INDO-PACIFIC

Tubastraea micranthus

BLACK SUN CORAL

 

Tubastraea sp. 2

CUP CORAL

 


EASTERN PACIFIC

Balanophyllia elegans

ORANGE CUP CORAL

 

 



Family Rhizangiidae

Ahermatypic (non-reef building) species found as colonies of large polyps connected by runners.  Calices have prominent septa of several cycles and resemble some cup or razor corals.  An obscure group with several species.

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

 

INDO-PACIFIC

Culicia sp.

CULICIA

 

 


EASTERN PACIFIC

Astrangia haimei

CULICIA

 



Family Caryophylliidae

EASTERN PACIFIC

Paracyathus stearnsii

BROWN CUP CORAL

 

Coenocyathus bowersi

COLONIAL CUP CORAL