Cup Corals of Australia
Genus: Culicia
Culicia
Culicia (Dana, 1846) is a genus of Scleractinia (hard coral) that are widely distributed throughout Australian waters.
Commonly referred to as cup-corals, these species are known for their orange colour and unique skeletal shape.
Culicia is often found encrusting hard or rocky substrate within shallow waters (0-30 metres), and can be found from tropical to cold and temperate regions. Despite their wide-spread distribution and abundance, these corals are poorly understood. Little is known about their biology, ecology and ecological significance, and their taxonomy is in need of review.
The Cold Water Coral Project aims to address these research gaps by conducting survey, sampling and biogeographical mapping efforts along the NSW coastline.
Discover where we are researching Culicia populations below.
Project Sites
The Cold Water Coral Project has established 3 main sites where Culicia species are being studied in detail.
Check them out below!
Chowder Bay
Sydney Harbour, NSW
Located next to the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay uniquely hosts Culicia colonies on netting and jetty structures. Culicia can also be found along the rocky shoreline, in high flow intertidal environments.
Jervis Bay
South Coast, NSW
Jervis Bay is home to extensive populations of Culicia species. Culicia is extremely abundant between 3-30 metres depth, and can be observed covering large boulders at the mouth of the bay. Smaller populations may also be observed on rocky outcrops in intertidal zones throughout Jervis Bay.
Terrigal
Central Coast, NSW
Extensive populations of Culicia have also been discovered just out of Terrigal Haven on the Central Coast, NSW. Here Culicia is observed encrusting large rocks at approximately 5-10 metres depth.
Biogeography and Citizen Science
Citizen science is an important and invaluable component of biodiversity research. That’s why we are asking you (local diving communities, general water enthusiasts) if you have spotted Culicia in your local area?
This information will allow us to gain a better understanding of Culicia’s, and the cup corals, biogeographical distribution. If you have seen Culicia and are interested in contributing to our project, please consider filling out our citizen science form with your observations and uploading any related images at the link below.
To raise awareness of cold and temperate coral species, we have been working to disseminate our Culicia citizen science infographic throughout NSW. If you would like a copy, please feel free to download it at the link below, or contact us for additional printouts.
More info
Thank you for your response. ✨
Exploring Coral Diversity. 