Fauna
Plant

Cochlear Coralline Crust

Spongites yendoi

Also known as Cochlear Coralline

Cochlear coralline crust coats wave-battered intertidal rocks in a dense, chalky pink to purplish pavement that withstands relentless surf. It maintains a close ecological partnership with pear limpets, whose selective grazing clears smothering turf algae and detritus from the algal surface. By depositing calcium carbonate within its cellular structure, this slow-growing red alga cements loose substrate together and stabilizes foundational habitat for diverse coastal invertebrates.

MarineIntertidalCalcified
Cochlear Coralline Crust reference1 / 6
(c) Javier, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPhotoautotrophic (sunlight and dissolved marine nutrients)
Predators
  • Pear Limpet (Scutellastra cochlear)
  • Cape Urchin (Parechinus angulosus)
ThreatsOcean acidification, marine heatwaves, and coastal siltation
HabitatsLower rocky intertidal zones and wave-exposed coastal reefs
Life span10–30+ years
Classification
  1. FamilySpongitaceae
  2. SpeciesSpongites yendoi
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Tide Timing: Explore lower wave-cut benches during spring low tides when this zone is briefly uncovered.
  • Footwear Caution: Avoid stepping directly on crust patches to prevent fracturing the brittle, calcified thalli.
  • Close Inspection: Look across pink surfaces for small sunken pores called conceptacles that release reproductive spores.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…