Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of coral reefs that develop in tropical and subtropical waters. Due to its unique and striking color, red coral has become a popular (macrobiotic) gemstone for jewelers in recent years. Pure red coral (Corallium rubrum), also known as 'fire coral' or 'ox blood coral' is becoming very rare due to the high demand for perfect specimens used in jewelry making, and the stress that over-collection is placing on the environmental health of coral reefs.
Fire corals are deep-dwelling corals that are typically found at depths or 50 m to over 200 m. A single coral "head" can be the home to thousands of individual polyps, each polyp only a few millimeters in size. A colony of polyps function as a single organism, sharing nutrients via an interconnected gastrovascular system. All of the polyps in the colony are clones of each other, sharing the same genetic code. Each new polyp generation lives on the main calcareous skeletal (exoskeleton) that is the remains of previous generations.
Fire corals are deep-dwelling corals that are typically found at depths or 50 m to over 200 m. A single coral "head" can be the home to thousands of individual polyps, each polyp only a few millimeters in size. A colony of polyps function as a single organism, sharing nutrients via an interconnected gastrovascular system. All of the polyps in the colony are clones of each other, sharing the same genetic code. Each new polyp generation lives on the main calcareous skeletal (exoskeleton) that is the remains of previous generations.
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