Mountainous Star Coral

Mountainous Star Coral

Orbicella faveolata

mountainous star coral illustration

Protected Status

ESA Threatened
Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Weight
Not relevant for corals
Lifespan
Up to hundreds of years
Threats
Climate change, including ocean warming and ocean acidification, Diseases, Land-based sources of pollution, Habitat degradation
Location
Southeast
See Regulatory Actions
Picture of mountainous star coral.

About the Species

Mountainous star coral is native to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Its color is usually pale brown but may be deep brown with fluorescent green highlights. Mountainous star coral is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to conserving and protecting mountainous star coral. Our scientists and partners use a variety of innovative techniques to study, learn more about, and protect this species.

Learn more about mountainous star coral

Protected Status

ESA Threatened

  • Throughout Its Range

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Merulinidae
Genus Orbicella
Species faveolata

Management Overview

Mountainous star coral is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents Incidental Take

Listing of 20 Reef-Building Coral Species Under the ESA

We, NOAA Fisheries, are publishing this final rule to implement our final determination to list the following 20 species as threatened: five in the Caribbean (Dendrogyra cylindrus, Orbicella annularis, Orbicella faveolata, Orbicella franksi, and
Final Rule
,
Pacific Islands
Southeast
Effective