WHATSTHATFISH
Corals & anemones

Lettuce Coral

Agaricia agaricites

Also known as: Leaf Coral, Lettuce Leaf Coral, Purple Lettuce Coral, Scaled Lettuce Coral, Tan Lettuce Leaf Coral, Thick Lettuce Leaf Coral

VUVulnerableIUCN Red List, 2022
Adult
@Butz2010 · Sandals Negril, Jamaica · March 20121 / 1
01

Overview

Found on shallow back reef flats and slopes of channels, lagoons and seagrass meadows.

Stony corals have hard stony skeletons, their polyps have six tentacles or are made up of multiples of six. These are usually nocturnal, however if the sky's are overcast, then many will feed during the day.
Generally the more robust corals life on exposed areas, while the smaller corals live in sheltered lagoons or deeper waters.
Stony corals are reef building corals and embedded in their flesh are thousands of minute single-celled marine plants called zooxanthellae which accounts for their colour.
These corals support a huge diversity of life, their main predator being the crown-of-thorns sea star.

02

How to identify

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found on shallow back reef flats and slopes of channels, lagoons and seagrass meadows.

04

Adult photos 1

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumCnidaria
    3. classHexacorallia
    4. orderScleractinia
    5. familyAgariciidae
    6. genusAgaricia
    7. speciesAgaricia agaricites (Linnaeus, 1758)

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Scleractinia