Stellar coral

Psammocora stellata is a stony coral belonging to the family Psammocoridae, recognized by its small, densely packed polyps and star-like corallite pattern, which gives rise to its common name. It forms encrusting to massive colonies and, like other scleractinian corals, secretes a calcium carbonate skeleton that contributes to reef framework. It hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae, algae that provide the coral with energy through photosynthesis while the coral offers shelter and access to sunlight.

As a reef-building species, it contributes habitat structure and complexity that supports fish and invertebrate communities.

The species has an extensive distribution across the Indo-Pacific and into parts of the eastern Pacific, occurring in countries ranging from Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines to French Polynesia, the Maldives, Seychelles, and Mexico, Panama, and Ecuador on the American coasts. It inhabits shallow marine reef environments, typically in areas with clear water and sufficient light penetration for its algal symbionts.

Its primary threats include rising sea temperatures that trigger coral bleaching, ocean acidification that impairs calcification and skeletal growth, and coastal development that increases sedimentation and smothers reef surfaces. Destructive fishing practices, including blast and cyanide fishing in parts of its range, cause direct physical damage, while agricultural and urban runoff introduce nutrients and pollutants that degrade water quality and favor algal overgrowth.

Conservation efforts affecting this species largely fall under broader marine protected area networks, reef monitoring programs, and international frameworks addressing climate change and water quality. Population trends remain unknown due to limited species-specific monitoring. Given its wide range but exposure to multiple ongoing and interacting stressors, its long-term outlook depends heavily on global mitigation of climate-related threats and local management of coastal impacts.

Stellar coral inhabits shallow tropical and subtropical coral reef environments, typically found in lagoons and reef flats at depths of 1-20 meters. It thrives in areas with moderate water flow and clear, warm waters with stable salinity levels.