Capnella Coral

Capnella genus

Capnella Coral

Capnella genus

Other Common Names
Kenya tree corals

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Kenya tree corals

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

Colonies are small, usually less than 10 cm across and resemble trees with branches or lobes that are covered with polyps.

The polyps are small with short tentacles. When they contract the colonies become somewhat club-like. The polyps are closely packed together and are covered in spiny sclerites, which provide support and protection to the soft tissues of the coral. When the polyps contract these spiny structures give the lobes the appearance of a pine-cone or look similar to the skin of a scaly reptile.

Capnella coral varies in color from grey, beige to brown.

Habitat

On crests and flats of mid and outer shelf reefs at depths as deep as 25m

Diet

Zooxanthellae, algae that lives in the coral’s tissue, provides them with nutrients through a process called photosynthesis. Capnella coral also eat small food particles drifting in the water, primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Life History

Capnella coral reproduces primarily through asexual methods such as budding, fission and dropping little branches.

Members of this genus can also reproduce by releasing sperm and eggs into the water. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae and eventually settle to form new colonies.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Soft corals belonging to the genus Capnella are known to produce organic compounds that are reported to exhibit promising biological activities such as anti-tumor, antiviral, antifouling and anti-inflammation. Soft corals like those belonging to the genus Capnella act as shelter for juvenile fishes and food for some marine species.

Zanzibar, Madagascar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines.

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.

Some species in this genus, like Capnella spicata, give off chemical toxins to ward off other corals that intrude their territory.

Citations & Other Resources

Fabricius, K., Australian Institute of Marine Science., and P. Alderslade. 2001. Soft corals and sea fans : a comprehensive guide to the tropical shallow water genera of the central-west Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Imbs, A. B., V.G. Rybin, V.I. Kharlamenko, L.P.T. Dang, N.T. Nguyen, K.M. Pham and L.Q. Pham. 2015. Polyunsaturated molecular species of galactolipids: Markers of zooxanthellae in a symbiotic association of the soft coral Capnella sp. (Anthozoa: Alcyonacea). Russian Journal of Marine Biology, 41(6), 461–467. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063074015060048
Phan, C. S., S.Y. Ng, E.A. Kim, Y.J. Jeon, K. Palaniveloo,and C.S. Vairappan. 2015. Capgermacrenes A and B, Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from a Bornean Soft Coral, Capnella sp. Marine Drugs, 13(5), 3103–3115. https://doi.org/10.3390/md13053103
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Online Resource Library. N.d. Kenya Tree Coral. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. https://resourcelibrary.clevelandmetroparks.com/animals/287
Bondolo, Capnella sp, CC BY-SA 3.0

Capnella Coral

Capnella Coral

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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