Fragile Saucer Coral, Constricted Leaf Coral – Agaricia fragilis

, Fragile Saucer Coral, Constricted Leaf Coral, Agaricia fragilis
Depth: 0 - 110 m

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermudas, Bonaire, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Minor Outlying Islands, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands

Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico

The Fragile Saucer Coral, Constricted Leaf Coral, scientifically known as Agaricia fragilis, is a fascinating coral species found in a variety of marine environments.

Description & Characteristics

Agaricia fragilis exhibits a distinctive appearance with a flat, saucer-shaped colony that can grow up to 10 inches in diameter. Its surface is characterized by numerous, small, constricted “leaves” or lobes that give it a unique, textured look. The color of this coral can vary greatly, ranging from pale brown and gray to vibrant shades of green, yellow, and even pink.

Habitat and Occurrence

This coral species prefers a variety of habitats, thriving in the Subtidal, sublittoral, infralittoral, and deep zones of the oceans. This means it is commonly found from the lower limit of the intertidal zone, where the ocean meets the land, to the shelf edge at about 200 m water depth. These zones are collectively known as the neritic zone, making Agaricia fragilis a prevalent inhabitant of these aquatic ecosystems.

Taxonomy

Agaricia fragilis is categorized within the scientific classification system as follows. It belongs to the Class: Hexacorallia, which encompasses a diverse group of corals characterized by their six-fold symmetry. Within this class, it is further classified under the Order: Scleractinia, which includes stony corals that secrete a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate. Finally, it belongs to the Family: Agariciidae, a group known for their unique flat, plate-like colonies.

Feeding

Agaricia fragilis is a heterotrophic coral, meaning it obtains nutrients from external sources rather than through photosynthesis. Its diet consists primarily of zooplankton, which are tiny aquatic animals. It also consumes copepods, amphipods, and dustfood, which are organic particles suspended in the water. This coral species is known to house zooxanthellae, single-celled algae that live within its tissues. While these algae do not provide a primary food source for Agaricia fragilis, they contribute to its overall energy budget through photosynthesis. However, Agaricia fragilis can also survive without zooxanthellae, making it an azooxanthellat coral.

Associated Species

Image References

Leave a Comment