About Balanophyllia europaea (Risso, 1827)
Commonly called pig-tooth coral, Balanophyllia europaea (Risso, 1827) is a solitary hard coral with an oval shape. It reaches 4 to 6 cm in diameter and 2 cm in height. Its body color ranges from light brown to green-brown. The coral's polyp has nearly transparent, beaded tentacles, which may bear red to yellow spots from the symbiotic micro-algae that live within the coral. This small madrepore occurs exclusively in the Mediterranean Sea. It favors shallow, brightly lit underwater locations, and typically anchors itself to hard substrates such as rocks, shells, or other hard materials, at depths down to 50 m (160 ft).
