Hoplangia durotrix Gosse, 1860

Carpet coral

Hoplangia durotrix

Description: Colonial stony coral. Forms small clusters, up to 50mm across, with individual corallites budding from stony basal encrustation. Coralliter up to 10mm tall and 4mm diameter. The polyps are translucent brownish and possibly only expand in darkness.

Habitat: Attached to rocks in shaded localities; occurs mainly in shallow sublittoral, 0-5m depth, beneath overhangs and in caves etc.

Distribution: Extreme southwest of England and perhaps Ireland, not common. Frequent on southwestern coasts of Europe and common in the Mediterranean. Any new records, particularly from north of Bristol Channel or east of Portland, would be welcomed.

Similar Species: Caryophyllia smithii is solitary, much larger and has different structure of corallite.

Key Identification Features:

• Colonial, forming small, low clusters.

Distribution Map: NBN map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

WoRMS: Species record : World Register of Marine Species.

iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database