Knob Coral

Overview

Knob Coral (Goniastrea stelligera) is a stony coral species found across the Indo-Pacific region and along the coast of East Africa. It is a common reef-building coral that typically inhabits shallow reef environments characterized by strong water movement.

Appearance

This species forms distinctive colonies that can be spherical, columnar, hillocky, or flat, sometimes reaching several meters in diameter. Its surface has a uniform appearance due to evenly distributed, conical corallites with thick walls and small openings. These corallites feature well-developed, equal costae that do not join with those of adjacent corallites. A crown of paliform lobes is usually clearly visible within the structure. Colonies are typically a uniform shade of brown or green.