Ricordea Coral

Ricordea genus

Ricordea Coral

Ricordea genus

Other Common Names
There are no other common names for the genus. However, there are two species of Ricordea coral, ricordea florida and ricordea yuma.

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

There are no other common names for the genus. However, there are two species of Ricordea coral, ricordea florida and ricordea yuma.

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

Polyps of both ricordea florida and ricordea yuma may be found as solitary individuals or in colonies. Ricordea coral have large fleshy polyps, large stocky bodies and flat oral discs covered with short tentacles. Ricordea corals are vibrant, coming in a wide variety of colors.

Habitat

Shallow tropical waters

Diet

Zooxanthellae, algae that lives in the coral’s tissue, provides them with nutrients through a process called photosynthesis. Ricordea coral are also filter feeders, eating small food particles drifting by in the water.

Life History

Ricordea florida and Ricordea yuma have been found to engage in sexual reproduction. As broadcast spawners they release eggs and sperm into the water. The sexual reproductive biology of these species is not well understood so more research is needed to fully understand its life history.

Ricordea coral belong to corallimorphia, an order of marine cnidarians, which are known to reproduce asexually through a variety of strategies including budding and fission.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Ricordea coral is a food source for a variety of marine organisms. For instance, ricordea florida is highly preyed upon by the hawksbill turtles in the SW Dominican Republic.

Ricordea coral also provide shelter and habitat for various species.

In stressful environmental conditions both species of ricordea coral have been shown to expel their zooxanthellae and undergo ‘bleaching’. As such, ricordea coral may be at risk to the threats of climate change.

Ricordea yuma is distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region while ricordea florida is found in the Atlantic Ocean.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

Unlike stony coral species, ricordea coral do not produce a calcium carbonate skeleton.

Citations & Other Resources

Kaposi, K. L., R.L. Courtney, and J.E. Seymour. 2023. A note on the sexual reproductive biology of Ricordea yuma (Corallimorpharia). Coral Reefs, 42(3), 755–760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-023-02382-8
Torres-Pratts, H., T. Lado-Insua, A.L. Rhyne, L. Rodríguez-Matos, and N.V. Schizas. 2011. Two distinct, geographically overlapping lineages of the corallimorpharian Ricordea florida (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia: Ricordeidae). Coral Reefs, 30(2), 391–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0709-z
León, Y. M., and K.A. Bjorndal. 2002. Selective feeding in the hawksbill turtle, an important predator in coral reef ecosystems. Marine Ecology. Progress Series (Halstenbek), 245, 249–258. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps245249

Ricordea Coral

Ricordea Coral

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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