About Tubastraea micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Tubastraea micranthus, commonly called the Black sun coral, is a species of coral in the Tubastraea genus, the group that contains all sun corals. This coral has a dark green color, and grows into branching colonies that have a bush or tree-like shape. The native range of T. micranthus extends from the Red Sea to Madagascar, and east into the Pacific Ocean as far as Fiji. It has been observed at depths ranging from 4 meters to 138 meters, but there is a key depth distinction between its native and non-native ranges: in its native habitats, T. micranthus has only ever been found at depths up to 50 meters, while all individuals recorded at depths below 50 meters are located in invasive environments. There have also been unconfirmed, rare sightings of this coral in Korea. Direct confirmation of T. micranthus's reproductive methods has not been completed, but it is assumed to be capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. This assumption comes from the many shared traits between T. micranthus and other species in the Tubastraea genus, specifically Tubastraea coccinea.
