Ruffled Coral 560

The Merulina amphiata is commonly called the Ruffled Coral, as well as names derived from its scientific name, starting with ‘amp’, ‘amplicata’, ‘ampliata’, and ‘amphiata’. Most of the Merulina corals are “frilly” and their common names are often descriptive of that. Some of the common names that the Merulina genus is known for are Ruffled Coral, Lettuce Coral, Ridge Coral, Merulina Coral, and Cabbage Coral. But Merulina’s can also develop tall columns looking like a forest from the top, or short less developed columns that create a ruffled plate formation. The Ruffled Coral in the picture above has the ‘frills’, but is a bit knobbier than other varieties.  The colors of the Ruffled Coral M. amphiata are commonly green, pink, brown, and cream. Some colonies can possess several of these colors. These corals also have sweeper tentacles which come out at night. They are located on the coral’s edges or margins and can reach 3″ (8 cm).    Where Merulina Corals Are Found: The Merulina amphiata are found around Australia on the Great Barrier Reef,  coral reef, Coral Sea, Lord Howe Island, and to the Houtman Abrolhos Island. Merulina, as a species, are found in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the west Pacific Ocean from the East China Sea all the way to the west, north, and east coasts of Australia, then east toward the Line Islands.  Merulina Coral Habitat: M. amphiata are found at depths down to 131 feet (40 m). They are found mostly in lagoons, but can also be found in most habitats around the reef.  The M. ampliata has similar growth patterns. Although their valleys are straight and short, they spread like a fan and then separate. Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. A reef aquarium or reef tank is a marine aquarium that prominently displays live corals and other marine invertebrates as well as fish that play a role in maintaining the tropical coral reef environment. A reef aquarium requires appropriately intense lighting, turbulent water movement, and more stable water chemistry than fish-only marine aquaria, and careful consideration is given to which reef animals are appropriate and compatible with each other.  Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.