Fauna
Invertebrate

Bubble Coral

Plerogyra sinuosa

Also known as Grape Coral, Bladder Coral, Pearl Coral

Bubble corals form striking domed colonies composed of grape-like, water-inflated vesicles that maximize surface area for photosynthetic symbionts during the daylight hours. Under darkness, these pale globes deflate to reveal tapering, potent tentacles that reach into gentle currents to snag passing zooplankton. Colonies often tuck beneath overhangs, inside crevices, or along turbid lower reef slopes where ambient light is subdued and heavy wave action cannot rupture their delicate tissues.

Reef-BuildingNocturnal HunterMarine Invertebrate
Bubble Coral reference
"Bubble Coral on the Unkai Maru" by mattk1979 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
—observations
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Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyZooplankton, Copepods, Amphipods
Predators
  • Crown-of-thorns starfish
  • Butterflyfish
  • Parrotfish
ThreatsOcean warming, coral bleaching, destructive fishing, and aquarium collection
HabitatsProtected reef slopes, overhangs, caves, and turbid lagoons
Life spanDecades to centuries
Classification
  1. FamilyPlerogyridae
  2. SpeciesPlerogyra sinuosa
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskVery high
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is very high
Safe to observe at a normal distance; avoid touching delicate tissues.
What to notice
Look for pale green or ivory grape-sized fluid vesicles clustered in shaded reef alcoves.
Support conservation
Never touch, stand on, or manipulate wild colonies, as bruised vesicles rapidly succumb to fatal infections.
Responsible observation
  • Buoyancy Control: Maintain neutral buoyancy and keep fins well clear to avoid crushing delicate vesicles.
  • Night Viewing: Use a red dive light after dark to spot extended feeding tentacles without prompting rapid retraction.
Related species
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