Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Ctenella chagius (Ctenella chagius), recorded as Endangered
Ctenella chagius (Ctenella chagius). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Ctenella chagius

Ctenella chagius

Ctenella is a monotypic genus of stony coral in the family Euphylliidae.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Ctenella chagius
CITES
Appendix II
Taxonomy
Anthozoa · Scleractinia · Euphylliidae · Ctenella

Appearance

This coral is a pale brown colour and can grow to a metre (yard) in diameter.

The width between the solid ridges on either side is about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) with the valleys being about 1 cm (0.4 in) deep.

Range and habitat

Ctenella chagius is found around the Chagos Islands. It is found in lagoons and on reef slopes at depths of up to 45 metres (148 ft).

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Habits

A stony-coral colony is fixed. Growth, bleaching, and death happen in place. Collection and gear damage remove the skeleton as well as the tissue.

The colony stays where it settled. Water quality, light, and a stable bottom decide whether tissue remains on the skeleton.

In crisis

CITES lists this taxon on Appendix II. Confirm the current appendix on the CITES checklist.

Warm-water bleaching, sedimentation, destructive fishing, and the curio trade sit behind many stony-coral badges. That is the group backdrop — confirm the official criteria for this name on the Red List.

Ctenella chagius is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Ctenella chagius, Wikidata item Q3330213. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Also in this catalog

Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii
Photograph of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

Quick answers

What is Ctenella chagius?
Ctenella chagius is a stony coral in the family Euphylliidae (order Scleractinia).
What is the conservation status of Ctenella chagius?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Ctenella chagius. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Ctenella chagius live?
Ctenella chagius is found around the Chagos Islands.
Why is Ctenella chagius in crisis?
Warm-water bleaching, sedimentation, destructive fishing, and the curio trade sit behind many stony-coral badges. That is the group backdrop — confirm the official criteria for this name on the Red List.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Ctenella chagius?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Ctenella chagius a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.