Corals of the Red Sea have been a popular attraction to divers for decades because of the sea’s clear and shallow waters full of diverse reef life. Due to the slow and restricted flow of water in the Red Sea, the corals there have a number of unique characteristics, including one of a kind shapes and intricate complexity. Here are just five species you’re likely to see on a dive.
Acropora
This is the most common type of coral in the Red Sea and is characterized by its green or brown color, growing either in plates or branches. Acropora grows quickly and can grow up to a meter in length in little time if left undisturbed. The biggest threat to this species in the Red Sea is bleaching, which can be seen in the above photo.
Gorgonia
This beautiful coral is more commonly known as a Venus fan or a common sea fan. As its name suggests, it takes the shape of a fan and can reach from 30 centimeters to 1.5 meters in height. The skeleton is made of calcite and flattened branches run along the flat part of the fan to hold its shape.
Tubastrea
More commonly known as sun coral, tubastrea is bright yellow or orange in color with a hard skeleton. One of the unique characteristics of tubastrea is that this type of coral extends its tentacles in the evenings. It is found in the deeper parts of the Red Sea, and is not a reef-building species.
Fungia
This type of coral varies in color and may be white, pink, blue, purple, or yellow. Fungia is generally round or oval in shape and resembles a mushroom. A mouth in the center of the circle is where tentacles sprout from the center of the skeleton.
Whip Coral
Whip coral is long and thin and looks similar to tree branches. Covered in small polyps, it is most commonly yellow or orange in color, but some variations are purple. Whip coral is also known as sea whip.