Wellington's solitary coral
| Wellington's solitary coral | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Anthozoa |
| Subclass: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Dendrophylliidae |
| Genus: | Rhizopsammia |
| Species: | Rhizopsammia wellingtoni Wells, 1982 |
Wellington's solitary coral (Rhizopsammia wellingtoni) is an endemic species of coral from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, recorded between 2 and 43 metres (6.6 and 141.1 ft) underwater. Before 1982, this species was considered abundant at some sites, but the El Niño event of 1982 and 1983 destroyed most colonies of this species, except for two populations. But since 2000, scientists have not found any even at those two sites, indicating that the species is particularly sensitive to changes in the temperature of water in which they live.[2]
This coral species is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.[3]
References
- ↑ Hickman, C.; Edgar, G. & Chiriboga, A. (2007). "Rhizopsammia wellingtoni". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63579A12683468. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63579A12683468.en. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ↑ "Rhizopsammia wellingtoni". IUCN Red List.
- ↑ "The Search for Lost Species". Global Wildlife Conservation.
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