All the Corals of Bermuda | Watford Studios

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Every coral species with a documented record from Bermuda: the reef-building hard corals and fire coral, the soft corals (sea fans, sea rods and sea plumes) and the black corals of deeper water. Many on this list live far below diving depth.

Source: species recorded in Bermuda in GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility: museum specimens, scientific surveys and verified sightings), with every name checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS); land and freshwater species, fossils and out-of-date names have been removed. Compiled October 2026. Click a scientific name for its WoRMS page, or a record count to see the Bermuda records. A few old records may be misidentifications.

Every coral is protected. All corals in Bermuda’s waters, including sea fans, sea rods, black corals and fire coral, are protected by law (Fisheries (Protected Species) Order 1978 and Protected Species Order 2015). Never touch, stand on or take coral.

Jump to: Hard corals | Soft corals: sea fans, sea rods and sea plumes | Black corals

Key: protected protected by Bermuda law (Department of Environment list: Protected Species Act 2003 and Fisheries (Protected Species) Order 1978) in our photo guide

134 species

Hard corals (76)

Common name	Scientific name	Bermuda records
Acroporidae
–protected	Acropora muricata	1
elkhorn coralprotected	Acropora palmata	1
Agariciidae
lettuce coralprotected	Agaricia agaricites	1
constricted leaf coralprotected	Agaricia fragilis	112
Potato Chip Coralprotected	Pavona cactus	1
Pourtales fan coralprotected	Pseudomadrepora carolina	1
Astrangiidae
dwarf cup coralprotected	Astrangia solitaria	2
Astrocoeniidae
blushing star coralprotected	Stephanocoenia intersepta	20
Caryophylliidae
–protected	Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) berteriana	1
–protected	Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) sarsiae	3
Devonshire Cup-coralprotected	Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii	1
–protected	Caryophyllia cylindracea	1
–protected	Coenocyathus goreaui	8
lesser speckled cup coralprotected	Colangia immersa	2
cockscomb cup coralprotected	Desmophyllum dianthus	5
Deepwater coralprotected	Desmophyllum pertusum	4
Papillose Cup Coralprotected	Paracyathus pulchellus	1
hidden cup coralprotected	Phyllangia americana	1
–protected	Tethocyathus cylindraceus	1
Cladocoridae
tube coralprotected	Cladocora arbuscula	5
Deltocyathidae
–protected	Deltocyathus agassizii	2
–protected	Deltocyathus eccentricus	1
Conical star coralprotected	Deltocyathus italicus	4
Dendrophylliidae
porous cup coralprotected	Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) floridana	2
beaked stony coralprotected	Enallopsammia rostrata	2
–protected	Rhizopsammia bermudensis	10
Euphylliidae
Crystal coralprotected	Galaxea fascicularis	8
Faviidae
grooved brain coralprotected in our photo guide	Diploria labyrinthiformis	137
golfball coralprotected in our photo guide	Favia fragum	170
rough star coralprotected	Isophyllia rigida	4
sinuous cactus coralprotected in our photo guide	Isophyllia sinuosa	275
rose coralprotected	Manicina areolata	2
–protected	Mussa sinuosa	1
brain coralprotected in our photo guide	Pseudodiploria strigosa	132
artichoke coralprotected	Scolymia cubensis	11
Flabellidae
Caillet's Fan Coralprotected	Javania cailleti	2
Fungiacyathidae
–protected	Fungiacyathus (Bathyactis) symmetricus	6
Fungiidae
mushroom coralprotected	Danafungia horrida	1
Guyniidae
–protected	Guynia annulata	1
Lobophylliidae
Green solitary coralprotected	Homophyllia australis	1
Meandrinidae
pineapple coralprotected	Dichocoenia stokesii	10
smooth flower coralprotected	Eusmilia fastigiata	1
–protected	Maeandrina sinuosissima	1
–protected	Meandrina cerebrum	30
maze coralprotected in our photo guide	Meandrina meandrites	28
Merulinidae
–protected	Dipsastraea amicorum	1
Caribbean star coralprotected	Orbicella annularis	17
Bumpy star coralprotected in our photo guide	Orbicella franksi	6
Brain coralprotected	Platygyra daedalea	1
Milleporidae
fire coralprotected in our photo guide	Millepora alcicornis	110
Montastraeidae
false knob coralprotected in our photo guide	Montastraea cavernosa	198
Oculinidae
–protected	Oculina bermudensis	2
–protected	Oculina coronalis	3
diffuse ivory bush coralprotected in our photo guide	Oculina diffusa	90
–protected	Oculina petiveri	1
–protected	Oculina speciosa	1
Ivory tree coralprotected	Oculina valenciennesi	32
fused ivory tree coralprotected	Oculina varicosa	24
Pocilloporidae
Pencil coralprotected	Madracis asperula	3
branching coralprotected	Madracis auretenra	14
ten-ray star coralprotected in our photo guide	Madracis decactis	48
eight-ray finger coralprotected	Madracis formosa	1
–protected	Madracis hellana	1
striate finger coralprotected	Madracis myriaster	8
Smooth cauliflower coralprotected	Stylophora pistillata	1
Poritidae
mustard hill coralprotected in our photo guide	Porites astreoides	80
hump coralprotected	Porites australiensis	1
–protected	Porites bermudae	1
hump coralprotected	Porites furcata	7
hump coralprotected	Porites nodifera	3
hump coralprotected in our photo guide	Porites porites	26
Rhizangiidae
lesser starlet coralprotected in our photo guide	Siderastrea radians	120
massive starlet coralprotected	Siderastrea siderea	14
Scleractinia family incertae sedis
smooth star coralprotected	Solenastrea bournoni	1
knobby star coralprotected	Solenastrea hyades	1
Stenocyathidae
Worm Coralprotected	Stenocyathus vermiformis	1

Soft corals: sea fans, sea rods and sea plumes (49)

Common name	Scientific name	Bermuda records
Acanthogorgiidae
–protected	Echinogorgia aurantiaca	1
Biscay sea fan coralprotected	Paramuricea biscaya	4
intermediate sea fan coralprotected	Placogorgia intermedia	1
–protected	Placogorgia tenuis	1
Alcyoniidae
sea strawberryprotected	Gersemia rubiformis	1
Briareidae
corky sea fingerprotected in our photo guide	Briareum asbestinum	24
Chrysogorgiidae
–protected	Iridogorgia magnispiralis	1
Coralliidae
Johnson's bubblegum coralprotected	Paragorgia johnsoni	1
Ellisellidae
sea whipprotected	Ellisella atlantica	2
sea whipprotected	Ellisella grandis	4
Gorgoniidae
Dry Sea Plumeprotected	Antillogorgia acerosa	1
slimy sea plumeprotected	Antillogorgia americana	26
Bipinnate Sea Featherprotected	Antillogorgia bipinnata	1
venus sea fanprotected	Gorgonia flabellum	31
common sea fanprotected in our photo guide	Gorgonia ventalina	102
–protected	Leptogorgia violacea	1
Keratoisididae
Bonsai Bamboo Coralprotected	Acanella arbuscula	3
–protected	Eknomisis dalioi	1
Plexaurellidae
–protected	Plexaurella crassa	1
double-forked plexaurellaprotected	Plexaurella dichotoma	17
gray plexaurellaprotected	Plexaurella grisea	1
giant slit-pore sea rodprotected	Plexaurella nutans	5
Plexauridae
warty euniceaprotected	Eunicea calyculata	24
knobby candelabraprotected	Eunicea clavigera	5
Bent Plexauraprotected in our photo guide	Eunicea flexuosa	143
doughnut sea rodprotected	Eunicea fusca	22
–protected	Eunicea laciniata	9
–protected	Eunicea pinta	3
shelf-knob sea rodprotected	Eunicea succinea	14
knobby candelabraprotected	Eunicea tourneforti	24
–protected	Muricea atlantica	28
delicate spiny sea rodprotected	Muricea laxa	2
spiny sea fanprotected	Muricea muricata	9
Long Spine Sea Fanprotected	Muricea pinnata	3
–protected	Plexaura edwardsi	17
Black Sea rodprotected in our photo guide	Plexaura homomalla	64
–protected	Pseudoplexaura flagellosa	9
Porous False Plexauraprotected	Pseudoplexaura porosa	75
Wagenaar's False Plexauraprotected	Pseudoplexaura wagenaari	2
Primnoidae
–protected	Callogorgia gracilis	1
shingled tree coralprotected	Candidella imbricata	5
–protected	Narella alvinae	3
Versluys's tree coralprotected	Narella versluysi	2
–protected	Thouarella (Euthouarella) grasshoffi	1
Pterogorgiidae
bottle-brush coralprotected	Muriceopsis flavida	1
yellow sea whipprotected	Pterogorgia citrina	18
Sarcodictyonidae
–protected	Telestula septentrionalis	4
Scleracidae
–protected	Scleracis guadalupensis	1
Victorgorgiidae
rough club coralprotected	Trachythela rudis	1

Black corals (9)

Common name	Scientific name	Bermuda records
Antipathidae
grey sea fan black coralprotected	Antipathes atlantica	14
–protected	Antipathes furcata	8
orange sea fan black coralprotected	Antipathes gracilis	4
Myriopathidae
Bottle-brush black coralprotected	Tanacetipathes hirta	4
bottle brush black coralprotected	Tanacetipathes tanacetum	5
–protected	Tanacetipathes thamnea	3
Pteridopathidae
–protected	Distichopathes filix	1
Schizopathidae
–protected	Parantipathes tetrasticha	1
Stichopathidae
–protected	Stichopathes pourtalesi	5