Scolymia Coral Spotting
Scolymia is a large polyp coral species that lives a solitary life. There are two species of Caribbean Scolymia, the largerScolymia lacera, and smallerScolymia cubensisand you can learn to identify both by clicking the links above.
While scuba diving in Gardens of the Queen, Cuba we spotted a few dozen colorful examples of each species. The twoScolymiacorals inhabit slightly different zones. The larger of the two is often found on the sea floor surrounded by sediments, while the smallerScolymia cubensisis found attached to rocky walls or hard reef substrate.
Size is one of the more obvious differences between the fully grown corals. But for smaller specimens, there are a few others characteristics which will help you positively identify each one.
Scolymia lacerais the larger of the two photographed above on the left. The best way to tell the twoScolymiaspecies apart, after size, is to look for the lines of skeletal teeth radiating from the center of the polyp towards the edge of the coral. These ridges are more obvious on the larger species.
Scolymia laceracorals also have a much fleshier mantle and brighter vibrant color patterns. If you have a have a white or blue light with you underwater shine it on these corals to reveal intricate coloration.
Scolymia cubensis,on the other hand, has a smoother, thinner mantle. Below the fleshy tissue of this coral and is a hard calcium carbonate skeleton, with a mouth at the center of the polyp. While you can see the same radiating ridges from the mouth toward the edges, the skeleton ofScolymia cubensisis smaller, and the ridges a shallower.
On the reef around Cuba Garden of the Queens, it was the smaller of the two (S. cubensis),出尽了风头。Nowhere else in the have you seenScolymiacoral like these! We found a fewScolymiacorals on every dive but they were especially plentiful on the shallow reefs walls at theMogotesdive site.
Mogotes dive is between 7 and 18m deep, starting on a shallow reef platform which cuts off into a vertical wall some 6-10m in height. I found lots of interested low light species colonizing this wall and it was actually one of my favorite dive sites during this trip.
We also found similar reef walls covered in clusters ofScolymiaat the Pius and Tarpon dive site, with more dispersed corals around La Cana, Finca de Pepe, and Fallaron sites.
The rainbowScolymiapictured above was the holy grail find of my Cuba trip. A diamond in the rough and bright example of why coral spotting never gets old.
You can truly never predict the endless color combinations, neighbors, and environment which influences a corals growth. Give it a go, next time you’re scuba diving in the Caribbean and spend a dive looking forScolymia最亮的钻石the rough you will ever find in Cuba!
We went diving with theAvalon IIliveaboard while diving in Gardens of the Queen Cuba.