![Portraits of the five species of cup corals found at Lundy: (1a) <i>Balanophyllia regia</i> (in water); (1b) <i>Balanophyllia regia</i> (out of water); (2) <i>Caryophillia smithii</i>; (3) <i>Hoplangia durotrix</i>; (4) <i>Leptopsammia pruvoti</i>; and (5) <i>Caryophyllia inornata</i> [Lundy MPA Marine Monitoring Manual]](/images/did-you-know/1.7.3_DYK_5_spp_of_cup_coral_at_Lundy_MMH_2015_adj.jpg)
Portraits of the five species of cup corals found at Lundy: (1a) Balanophyllia regia (in water); (1b) Balanophyllia regia (out of water); (2) Caryophillia smithii; (3) Hoplangia durotrix; (4) Leptopsammia pruvoti; and (5) Caryophyllia inornata [Lundy MPA Marine Monitoring Manual]
To date, Lundy is the only place in the British Isles where all five species of cup corals that occur in British waters are found. The five species are (1) scarlet and gold star coral Balanophyllia regia; (2) Devonshire cup coral Caryophyllia smithii; (3) Weymouth carpet coral Hoplangia durotrix; (4) sunset cup coral Leptopsammia pruvoti; and (5) southern cup coral Caryophyllia inornata.
Four of these corals (#2-5) have been found in one small area within a few centimetres of each other. The fifth, the scarlet and gold star coral, is restricted to very shallow water and may be exposed at extreme low water spring tides.
Cup corals resemble sea anemones but they possess a hard, stony skeleton which only becomes apparent when the polyp is withdrawn. They favour growing in low light conditions on vertical or overhanging recesses, as they lack the photosynthesising algal cells within their tissues which most tropical corals possess.
Notes:
Scarlet and gold star cup coral Balanophyllia regia may be found on the lower shore (under overhangs) to about 25 m depth. It is found at a limited number of sites in SW England and SW Wales and possibly southern Ireland, SW Europe and the Mediterranean. The corallum (skeleton) is porous, spongy in texture and fragile, making it less durable than other British cup corals.
Devonshire cup coral Caryophyllia smithii is the commonest cup coral species around the British and Irish coasts, only being absent from the southern half of east England and the south-east of Ireland. It is certainly not restricted to Devonshire – this being the county where it was first recorded. Its distribution extends from the Mediterranean as far north as southern Norway.
Weymouth carpet coral Hoplangia durotrix is a colonial coral growing up to 5 cm across. It is common in the Mediterranean, with its distribution extending around the Iberian peninsula to the English Channel (as far east as West Sussex), around the south-west as far north as Skomer.
Sunset cup coral Leptopsammia pruvoti is the largest of the solitary cup corals. Lundy is the furthest north it has been found, though it occurs at a few other sites in south west England, Sark, and in the northern Mediterranean. Its numbers at Lundy have been steadily decreasing over the past 40 years but it is unclear why.
Southern cup coral Caryophyllia inornata is widespread in the Mediterranean where it is typically found in sublittoral caves. In Britain and Ireland, it is rare, being found as far north as the Sound of Jura and as far west as Lough Hyne (Co Cork).
