Coralliophila violacea (Kiener, 1836)
28.7mm
Coralliophila
violacea is the most common species in the genus at Kwajalein.
It is most often found on species of Porites, but can be on some others
as well.
The will often cluster in a depression
in the coral, eating and killing the coral outward.
A coral that had fallen and was
upside down was flipped back upright in case any of the polyps were still alive.
The brown area is still living coral, but it is being eaten by a cluster of
Coralliophila.
In the photos below, living Coralliophila
were popped off their spots, showing the dead coral scars where they had been
eating.
Created 17 December 2017
Updated 3 April 2024
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