Scolymia Coral Spotting
Scolymia is a large polyp coral species that lives a solitary life. There are two species of Caribbean Scolymia, the largerScolymia lacera, and smallerScolymia cubensisand you can learn to identify both by clicking the links above.
在皇后花园中潜水时,古巴我们发现了每种物种的几十个五颜六色的例子。他们俩Scolymiacorals inhabit slightly different zones. The larger of the two is often found on the sea floor surrounded by sediments, while the smallerScolymia cubensis发现附着在岩石墙或硬礁基板上。
Size is one of the more obvious differences between the fully grown corals. But for smaller specimens, there are a few others characteristics which will help you positively identify each one.
Scolymia lacerais the larger of the two photographed above on the left. The best way to tell the twoScolymia分开的物种毕竟是寻找从息肉中心辐射到珊瑚边缘的骨骼齿线。这些山脊在较大的物种上更为明显。
Scolymia lacera珊瑚还具有更肉质的地幔和鲜艳的颜色图案。如果您有白光或蓝色的灯,那么您的水下将其在这些珊瑚上发光,以揭示复杂的色彩。
Scolymia cubensis,另一方面,具有更光滑,更薄的地幔。在该珊瑚的肉质组织下方,是碳酸盐骨架的坚硬钙骨架,息肉的中心有一只嘴。虽然您可以从嘴向边缘看到相同的辐射脊,但Scolymia cubensisis smaller, and the ridges a shallower.
On the reef around Cuba Garden of the Queens, it was the smaller of the two (S. cubensis),出尽了风头。Nowhere else in the have you seenScolymiacoral like these! We found a fewScolymiacorals on every dive but they were especially plentiful on the shallow reefs walls at theMogotesdive site.
Mogotes Dive在7到18m的深处,从浅礁平台开始,该平台切入垂直墙,高约6-10m。我发现许多感兴趣的低光种类在这堵墙上定居,这实际上是这次旅行中我最喜欢的潜水地点之一。
We also found similar reef walls covered in clusters ofScolymiaat the Pius and Tarpon dive site, with more dispersed corals around La Cana, Finca de Pepe, and Fallaron sites.
The rainbowScolymiapictured above was the holy grail find of my Cuba trip. A diamond in the rough and bright example of why coral spotting never gets old.
You can truly never predict the endless color combinations, neighbors, and environment which influences a corals growth. Give it a go, next time you’re scuba diving in the Caribbean and spend a dive looking forScolymia您将在古巴发现的粗糙钻石中最亮的钻石!
我们和Avalon IIliveaboard while diving in Gardens of the Queen Cuba.