Blade Fire Coral
CR

Blade Fire Coral

Millepora complanata

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Millepora complanata, commonly known as blade fire coral, is a species of fire coral in the family Milleporidae. It is found in shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea where it is a common species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being critically endangered.

Millepora complanata faces severe population declines primarily due to ocean warming and acidification, which cause bleaching events and weaken its calcium carbonate skeleton. Coastal development and pollution from agricultural runoff create additional stress through sedimentation and nutrient loading. Hurricane damage and physical destruction from boat anchoring and diving activities further fragment remaining populations in shallow Caribbean waters.

Threat summary

Habitat

This fire coral species inhabits shallow tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, typically found in coral reef environments at depths of 1-20 meters. It forms encrusting colonies on hard substrates including reef frameworks, rocky surfaces, and dead coral structures in areas with moderate to strong water movement.

Marine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Habitat & natural process restorationSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservationLegislation

Other threatened species in MILLEPORIDAE

VU

Millepora latifolia

Declining
EN

Fire Coral

Millepora dichotoma

Declining
EN

Millepora platyphylla

Declining
EN

Millepora tenera

Declining

Threatened in Bahamas

Oriente Yellow-mottled FrogVU

Oriente Yellow-mottled Frog

Eleutherodactylus ricordii

Declining
Humped BladderwortCR

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown
EN

Atlantic Chupare

Styracura schmardae

Declining
Bahamian HutiaCR

Bahamian Hutia

Geocapromys ingrahami

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Blade Fire Coral classified as Critically Endangered?
Blade Fire 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. Millepora complanata faces severe population declines primarily due to ocean warming and acidification, which cause bleaching events and weaken its calcium carbonate skeleton. Coastal development and pollution from agricultural runoff create additional stress through sedimentation and nutrient loading. Hurricane damage and physical destruction from boat anchoring and diving activities further fragment remaining populations in shallow Caribbean waters.
Where does Blade Fire Coral live?
Blade Fire Coral occurs in Bahamas, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, and United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Blade Fire Coral?
The main threats to Blade Fire Coral are 11.1, 2.1, 5.3, and 5.4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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