Invertebrates
Red Coral
Corallium rubrum · also called precious coral
In the dim twilight of an underwater cave in the Mediterranean, the white polyps of a red coral wave from branches the colour of dried blood.
Overview
The red coral, Corallium rubrum, is an Endangered coral of rocky walls, caves, and overhangs in the Mediterranean and the neighbouring eastern Atlantic. Its crimson skeleton, long history in jewellery, and slow growth make it one of the best-known and most vulnerable corals in European waters.
A treasure that takes decades to grow
Because red coral adds only a fraction of a millimetre a year to its branches, a colony large enough to harvest is many decades old, and harvesting can remove it far faster than it grows back.
Status
Endangered, declining where harvest is heavy.
Red Coral: common questions
Why is red coral valuable?
Its hard, red skeleton has been harvested for jewellery, beads, and ornaments in the Mediterranean for thousands of years.
How fast does red coral grow?
It grows extremely slowly, adding only a fraction of a millimetre a year to the thickness of its branches, so large colonies are many decades old.
Is red coral an animal?
Yes, it is a colony of tiny polyps, each with eight tentacles, living on a skeleton they build.
Where is red coral found?
It lives on rocky walls, in caves, and under overhangs in the Mediterranean and the neighbouring eastern Atlantic.