Millepora alcicornis
fire coral

Tropical/Subtropical Caribbean Sea

Live attached to rocks and dead coral on reefs in colonies spread over an area of to several meters.

Found in fixed colonies connected to one another by tubular extensions of the body cavity; create a calcareous skeleton.

Paralyse prey with nematocysts (stinging cells) , then draw into mouth opening.

Fire coral have no negative economic importance, although their sting can be very painful to humans.

The fire coral have no specific positive economic importance, but their habitat of tropical coral reefs are a very valuable economic resource. The reefs provide a rich fishery, which can be managed sustainably to provide a consistent source of food and revenue. Also, tourism, mostly via SCUBA divers, is very profitable due to the beauty and diversity of the reefs.

This species of fire coral lives on the coral reefs of the Caribbean, one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. While the fire coral are in no particular danger, the entire habitat is very sensitive to human destruction, over-fishing, and bleaching.

The presence of fire coral may be a blessing to the endangered coral reefs of the Caribbean. Because the fire coral cause a painful sting in humans, many divers are very cautious about touching the reefs or inadvertently crashing into them. Such contact is very harmful to the true corals that make up the reefs, as many reefs are dying from excessive human impact.