Low relief lettuce coral is common in the open seas of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida, often scattered among other corals in inner bays and sometimes on mangrove roots. It can thrive from shallow sea levels to the lower depth limits of the reef, approximately 60 meters deep. This species has a widespread distribution. It shows a number of growth forms. It can appear saucer like on cliff sides or small half moon shaped in shallow depths. In depths deeper than 10 meters, the coral forms broad vertical scales with corallites on one side only.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Cnidardia (C is silent) Marine group with stinging cells
- Class: Anthozoa – Flower Animal
- Order: Scleratinia – Reef building stony corals
- Family: Agariciidae – includes cactus corals, elephant skin corals, plate corals and lettuce corals. Members of the family include symbiotic algae called Zooxanthellae in their tissues which help provide their energy
- Genus: Agaricia – lettuce corals
- Species: humilis – low relief
My mother in law Winifred (Winkie) loved collecting coral during Florida vacations in the 60’s and 70’s. My late husband, Joseph, came from a hard working family in the 50’s living in Detroit. His dad, Joseph, was a designer for Chrysler Corporation and designed an amphibious vehicle used in WWII.
I feel honored to have samples from her coral collection and am excited to share it with you. She would have been thrilled by this.