Organ Pipe Coral
Tubipora musica · too-BIP-or-a MOO-zih-ka
Near Threatened
Friendly
Superpower
Builds a deep-red skeleton of parallel tubes, like the pipes of an organ.
At a glance
- Size
- typically 20 cm, up to 60 cm
- Depth
- 1–20 m
Habitat
Shallow reef flats and slopes.
Diet
Symbiotic algae plus plankton.
Can I eat it?
No — this one is not eaten.
Fun facts
- It is a soft coral that, unusually, builds a hard red skeleton.
- The red tubes are arranged like organ pipes.
- Grey-green polyps cover the red skeleton when alive.