快速指南大息肉Caribbean Corals

Large Polyps

When most people imagine corals, they think of hundreds of tiny polyps creating a larger colony of coral. And while this is true for most corals there is a second category of corals which have large polyps, and even single large polyp species.
大息肉珊瑚的直径在5-15厘米或1-6英寸之间，通常是所有珊瑚物种中最丰富多彩的。我们制作了此快速指南，因此您可以一目了然地轻松地识别出大型息肉加勒比物种。
You can find more quick guides here toBranching,Mound & Boulder,电镀，和Meanderingcorals. For a full description of each species check out our加勒比珊瑚指南,and, make sure to follow us onFacebookto stay up to date with all our coralicious content.

Mussa

1.Mussa angulosa–刺花珊瑚
Mussais a colonial large polyp coral that has fleshy inflated polyps hiding an oblong shaped skeleton. The polyps are up to 15 or 6 inches in diameter and can be different shades of gray with hints of green, blue, red, orange or pink.
由于肉质的地幔，这种珊瑚可能被误认为Scolymia，这是一个圆形的肉质息肉。然而，Scolymiacorals always grow as a single polyp with a round skeleton.Mussapolyps are colonial and have kidney or oblong shaped skeleton.

Eusmilia

2.Eusmilia fastigiata–Smooth Flower Coral
Eusmilia是在加勒比海地区发现的常见珊瑚，只有一个物种（Eusmiliafastigiata)你们都应该迅速成为识别这一可识别珊瑚的专家。
Eusmiliacolonies can grow into small mounds about 20 in (50 cm) across. Polyps are a few cm or less than an inch in diameter. The colony grows long tubular corallites that extend from the base in groups of one, two or three. The tips of each polyp are oval or peanut shaped and have a ridged texture. Tentacles are visible at night.

Scolymia

有两种Scolymia较小的孤立圆盘珊瑚（Scolymia cubensis), and the large fleshy disk coral (Scolymia lacera).Scolymia cubensis珊瑚的中心有光滑的肉质地幔和嘴巴Scolymia lacerahas pointed skeletal teeth around the edge of the coral.
3.Scolymia cubensis–Artichoke Coral
At first glance, you might even think this is a soft coral because of the puffy ring surrounding the oral disk. But rest assured this is a species of stony coral and underneath the fleshy polyp is a hard calcium carbonate skeleton.
Scolymia珊瑚是皇冠上的珠宝，这是我仍然对加勒比海潜水感到兴奋的重要原因。您永远无法预测颜色，图案或条纹的无尽组合。如果有钻石中的钻石定义，就是这样。这种息肉在3-8厘米或1-3英寸之间。

4.Scolymia lacera–Solitary Disk Coral
If you’re like me, every time you get it the water, scuba diving comes with a wish list of corals (or fish) you want to see. In the Caribbean, my list always includesScolymia lacera.
Mature colonies ofScolymia lacera最多可达15厘米或6英寸，我甚至发现几个最多20厘米或8英寸。Scolymia可以带有条纹或斑点，每种颜色都可以想象。总会有机会找到一个比其他标本更明亮的非凡标本。这就是使寻找珊瑚成为永无止境的寻宝活动的原因。