Corals: Hard and Soft | Watford Studios

Fish | Corals: Hard and Soft | Nudibranchs & Sea Slugs | Shells

Bermuda has the most northerly coral reefs in the Atlantic, kept warm by the Gulf Stream. Hard corals build the reef; soft corals, like sea fans and sea rods, sway in the current. Please never stand on or touch the coral.

protected protected by Bermuda law found only in Bermuda endemic introduced brought in by people (Bermuda’s protected species)

Hard corals

Symmetrical Brain Coral Pseudodiploria strigosaprotectedOne of the commonest reef-builders on Bermuda's reefs.Photo: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble (CC BY)

Grooved Brain Coral Diploria labyrinthiformisprotectedA brain coral with deep grooves between its ridges.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Mustard Hill Coral Porites astreoidesprotectedLumpy yellow-brown mounds, common in shallow water.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Greater Star Coral Montastraea cavernosaprotectedLarge polyps that open to feed at night.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Boulder star coral Orbicella franksiprotectedA major reef-building coral.Photo: Public domain (PD)

Lesser Starlet Coral Siderastrea radiansprotectedA small, tough coral of shallow, sandy water.Photo: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas (CC BY)

Sinuous Cactus Coral Isophyllia sinuosaprotectedFleshy, meandering valleys.Photo: Public domain (PD)

Golf Ball Coral Favia fragumprotectedA small dome, about the size of a golf ball.Photo: Robin White (CC BY)

Ten-Ray Star Coral Madracis decactisprotectedSmall knobby or encrusting colonies.Photo: Robin White (CC BY)

Finger Coral Porites poritesprotectedFinger-like branches.Photo: Alex Doyle (CC BY)

Maze Coral Meandrina meandritesprotectedLong winding valleys, like a maze.Photo: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Diffuse Ivory Bush Coral Oculina diffusaprotectedA branching coral of shallow, sheltered bays.Photo: Pauline Walsh Jacobson (CC BY)

Branching Fire Coral Millepora alcicornisprotectedNot a true coral: it stings, so don't touch!Photo: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

See the complete list of every hard coral recorded in Bermuda »

Soft corals

Purple Sea Fan Gorgonia ventalinaprotectedLacy purple fans that face into the current.Photo: James St. John (CC BY)

Caribbean Sea Whip Plexaura homomallaprotectedA branching brown sea rod that sways with the swell.Photo: marique (CC BY)

Corky Sea Finger Briareum asbestinumprotectedPurplish fingers covered in fuzzy polyps.Photo: James St. John (CC BY)

Bent Sea Rod Eunicea flexuosaprotectedA bushy, branching sea rod.Photo: Robin White (CC BY)

See the complete list of every soft coral recorded in Bermuda »

Species chosen from research-grade sightings recorded in Bermuda on iNaturalist. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public-domain licences; click a credit to see the original. « Flora & Fauna of Bermuda | Scuba Diving in Bermuda