Pillar Coral
CR

Pillar Coral

Dendrogyra cylindrus

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Pillar coral is a hard coral found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Dendrogyra. It is a digitate coral -that is, it resembles fingers or a cluster of cigars, growing up from the sea floor without any secondary branching.

It is large and can grow on both flat and sloping surfaces at depths down to 20 m (65 ft). It is one of the few types of hard coral in which the polyps can commonly be seen feeding during the day.

Dendrogyra cylindrus faces severe population decline primarily due to stony coral tissue loss disease, which has devastated Caribbean coral reefs since 2014. Ocean warming and acidification compound these pressures by weakening coral resilience and reducing calcification rates. Coastal development and sedimentation further degrade the shallow reef habitats this species requires, while hurricanes can cause catastrophic physical damage to remaining colonies.

Threat summary

Habitat

Dendrogyra cylindrus inhabits shallow coral reef environments throughout the Caribbean, typically found at depths of 1-20 meters on reef slopes, patch reefs, and back-reef areas. This pillar coral forms distinctive cylindrical columns that can reach several meters in height, creating important three-dimensional habitat structure in Caribbean reef ecosystems.

Forest - Subtropical/tropical mangrove vegetation· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationLegislationCompliance and enforcement

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Pillar Coral classified as Critically Endangered?
Pillar Coral is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Dendrogyra cylindrus faces severe population decline primarily due to stony coral tissue loss disease, which has devastated Caribbean coral reefs since 2014. Ocean warming and acidification compound these pressures by weakening coral resilience and reducing calcification rates. Coastal development and sedimentation further degrade the shallow reef habitats this species requires, while hurricanes can cause catastrophic physical damage to remaining colonies.
Where does Pillar Coral live?
Pillar Coral occurs in Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Pillar Coral?
The main threats to Pillar Coral are 11.1, 5.3, 5.4, and 6.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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