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

Endangered

Micromussa lordhowensis

Micromussa lordhowensis

Micromussa lordhowensis is a stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae (order Scleractinia), recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Micromussa lordhowensis
Taxonomy
Anthozoa · Scleractinia · Lobophylliidae · Micromussa

Appearance

The colour varies widely and is often formed of two contrasting shades of red, orange, purple, blue or green.

The corallites are large, up to 15 mm (0.6 in) in diameter, with walls composed of closely packed septa with fine teeth.

Range and habitat

Micromussa lordhowensis occurs in the western Indo-Pacific on reefs at depths down to about 30 metres (98 ft). Its range extends from the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba and the eastern coast of Africa to the East China Sea, Japan and Australia. It takes its specific name from Lord Howe Island, the most southerly coral reef in the Pacific.

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

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.

Micromussa lordhowensis 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 Micromussa lordhowensis, Wikidata item Q61656516. 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 Micromussa lordhowensis?
Micromussa lordhowensis is a stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae (order Scleractinia).
What is the conservation status of Micromussa lordhowensis?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Micromussa lordhowensis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Micromussa lordhowensis live?
Its range extends from the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba and the eastern coast of Africa to the East China Sea, Japan and Australia.
Why is Micromussa lordhowensis 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 Micromussa lordhowensis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Micromussa lordhowensis a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.