About
S.madagascarensis is a small branching coral only found off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean where it is relatively common.
Coral reefs around the island of Madagascar have been subject to significant decline due to a combination of threats including human development, deforestation and destructive fisheries such as dynamite fishing. There is no species-specific information for S.madagascarensis, however habitat decline can be used as a proxy for population declines for this species.
- Order: Scleractinia
- Family: Pocilloporidae
- Trend: unknown
- Depth Range (m): 2 - 20
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is only found in the tropical waters off the coast of Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean.
Habitat and Ecology
S.madagascarensis is a stony (or scleractinian) coral species meaning that as the individual animals (polyps) of this species grow, they exude calcium carbonate to form exoskeletons (corallites) for protection.
It can be found on shallow reef environments to a depth of 20m where it prefers moderate wave action or sheltered lagoons and colonies can reach a maximum size of 25cm in diameter.
