About Millepora tenera Boschma, 1949
Millepora tenera is a species of fire coral that belongs to the family Milleporidae. It is a zooxanthellate species with a calcareous skeleton, first described in 1949 by Dutch zoologist Hilbrand Boschma. Millepora tenera is native to the Red Sea and the western Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa across much of Southeast Asia to Australia, and also includes American Samoa and the Mariana Islands. This coral occurs at depths of up to 15 metres (49 ft), and is often found in turbid locations, where it can tolerate some level of siltation. Like other fire corals, Millepora tenera causes painful rashes if it comes into contact with bare skin. Extracts from this coral contain neurotoxins that produce convulsions, respiratory failure, and death in test mice. The extract also causes hemolysis, contains a dermonecrotic factor, and has antigenic properties. Rabbits that were immunized with this extract developed neutralizing antibodies that protected them against hemolysis, dermonecrosis, and death from the toxins. The resulting antiserum can also provide protection against toxins found in extracts of Millepora alcicornis.
