Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Scolymia lacera (Scolymia lacera), recorded as Critically Endangered
Scolymia lacera (Scolymia lacera). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Scolymia lacera

Scolymia lacera

Scolymia lacera is a brain coral in the family Faviidae (order Scleractinia), recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Scolymia lacera
CITES
Appendix II
Taxonomy
Anthozoa · Scleractinia · Faviidae · Scolymia

Appearance

Its colour is variable and is usually some shade of greenish-brown.

Range and habitat

Scolymia lacera is found in the Caribbean Sea, the southern half of the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and southern Florida. It occurs on reefs in shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda and southern Florida.

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.

Scolymia lacera is Critically 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 Scolymia lacera, Wikidata item Q3314153. 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.

Same genus

Photograph of Scolymia cubensis (Scolymia cubensis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Scolymia cubensis

Scolymia cubensis
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

Quick answers

What is Scolymia lacera?
Scolymia lacera is a brain coral in the family Faviidae (order Scleractinia).
What is the conservation status of Scolymia lacera?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Scolymia lacera. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Scolymia lacera live?
Scolymia lacera is found in the Caribbean Sea, the southern half of the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and southern Florida.
Why is Scolymia lacera 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 Scolymia lacera?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Scolymia lacera a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.