Monday, October 7, 1996
Handy cards offer details on
Hawaii's coral species
I hate coral. Oh sure, it's pretty. And yes, I know
it's the backbone of inshore marine life. But I can't for the life of me
remember its common names, pronounce its scientific names or explain its
life history without looking it up.
Now I have some help for my poor memory. I recently
received in the mail several lovely laminated coral cards, similar to the
fish and bird cards we see in local shops.
The coral card is produced by the Hawaiian Islands
Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary with sponsorship from the Pacific
Whale Foundation, the Sierra Club, Hawaii Wildlife Fund, the state of
Hawaii and NOAA.
On one side of the waterproof card are pictures of
Hawaii's common coral species, common and scientific names included, with
a triggerfish in each to show scale.
The flip side spells out coral etiquette in six
languages: Hawaiian, English, German, Samoan, Japanese and Ilocano.
EACH translation explains that corals are living
creatures, easily harmed by careless people. Touching or standing on coral
can damage the delicate animals. Also, kicking up sand near coral heads
Most residents know these facts. But how much else do
you know about Hawaii's coral?
1. Which one of the following is NOT a common name for
one of Hawaii's coral species?
a) pineapple coral,
b) mushroom coral,
c) finger coral,
d) rice coral.
2. What is a common Hawaiian name for several types of
3. It is illegal in Hawaii to take:
a) any kind of coral, living or dead, from
b) live stony corals from the water,
c) invertebrates living inside coral heads,
d) pictures of coral reproducing.
4. Which type of common Hawaii coral is named after the
animal part it resembles?
a) hoofed coral,
b) quill coral,
c) winged coral,
d) antler coral.
5. Corals get their colors from tiny plants growing in
their tissues. These plants are called:
a) Gambierdiscus toxicus
6. Which coral is soft and grows in dark places from
shady tide pools to deep caves?
a) false brain coral,
b) orange cup coral,
c) pink saucer coral,
d) cauliflower coral.
Here are the answers:
1. a. pineapple coral does not exist. b. mushroom coral
is Fungia scuteria, c. finger coral is Porites compressa, and
d. rice coral is Montipora capitata.
2. Koa is the general Hawaiian name for coral. Antler,
cauliflower and rice corals are called koa; others have specific names.
3. b. It is illegal to take live, stony corals from the
water. In a bill recently signed by Gov. Ben Cayeteno, it is now legal to
dig up pieces of ancient coral from the land to put in shoreside fish
ponds and salt water aquariums.
After a few months, marine invertebrates set up
housekeeping in the dead coral, thus creating a living rock. This new law
As for c., corals reproduce by spewing out sperm and
eggs at certain times of the year. If you get a picture of this, treasure
4. d. Antler coral is common on Hawaii reefs. Its flat
blades resemble deer antlers.
5. b. Zooxanthellae (zo-zan-THELL-ee) are the algae
that stony corals harbor in their tissues. These algae feed the coral and
the corals in turn provide carbon dioxide and nitrogen for the algae.
(a. Gambierdiscus toxicus is the dinoflgellate
that causes ciguatera.)
6. b. Orange cup coral is a common, beautiful soft
coral. This new coral card shows that the whale sanctuary is promoting
conservation through education, as promised.
You can get your card by calling 541-3184 on Oahu or
1-800-831-4888 for neighbor islands.