Fish identification archive / Lesser Starlet Coral

Lesser Starlet Coral

Siderastrea radians

Fun facts for your next surface interval

Some colonies form free-living rounded balls. [source]
The corallite centers are distinctly sunken. [source]
This species is a brooding coral. [source]

Florida and local context

Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science reports living Siderastrea radians on five cannons and the anchor of the Pennekamp mock shipwreck in Largo Sound.

A documented past record does not establish present abundance or guarantee an encounter.

Sources: Local occurrence: Pennekamp Mock Shipwreck, Largo Sound, Key Largo, Florida

How to recognize this animal

Usually a small, pale gray or tan encrusting colony with dark, sunken corallite centers. Thick, readily visible septa descend steeply into the cups; some colonies form free-living rounded balls.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Size and life stages

The Coralpedia description emphasizes small colonies but provides no verified maximum. The directory therefore leaves its size band unassigned rather than guessing from a photograph.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Habitat and where to look

The local university record places living colonies on the Pennekamp mock wreck in Largo Sound. Experimental work also describes its lagoon setting; this does not make every local lagoon a confirmed site.

Sources: Local occurrence: Pennekamp Mock Shipwreck, Largo Sound, Key Largo, Florida; Lirman and Manzello (2009): resistance and resilience to salinity stress and sediment burial

Range and local context

The local evidence is Pennekamp Mock Shipwreck, Largo Sound, Key Largo, Florida. Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science reports living Siderastrea radians on five cannons and the anchor of the Pennekamp mock shipwreck in Largo Sound. This documents a particular record rather than continuous occupancy throughout the corridor.

Sources: Local occurrence: Pennekamp Mock Shipwreck, Largo Sound, Key Largo, Florida

What is on the menu?

Coral polyps capture small prey; symbiotic algae also supply nutrition. This general reef-coral context does not establish a local prey list.

Sources: NOAA coral biology; NOAA coral biology

Daily habits and behavior

It has been studied for resistance and recovery under low salinity and sediment burial. Stress tolerance is relative and is never a reason to cover, handle or test a living colony.

Sources: Lirman and Manzello (2009): resistance and resilience to salinity stress and sediment burial

Mating and the next generation

Published population-genetic work identifies Siderastrea radians as a brooding coral. Larval development therefore should not be described using a generic broadcast-spawner template.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Look-alikes and identification traps

Other Siderastrea species can be difficult to separate. Coralpedia contrasts septal counts and cup shape with S. stellata; detailed skeletal assessment is preferable to color alone.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Observe without disturbing

Keep fins and equipment clear; photograph without touching or disturbing the colony or nearby sediment.

Sources: NOAA responsible diving

Harvest, protection and eating safety

Protected: no recreational take

Verified coral harvest prohibition, not a seasonal closure. Special scientific permits are not recreational permission.

This color is a qualified summary, not permission to collect or a guarantee that a particular animal is safe to eat.

Can it be hunted or harvested?

This species is a stony coral (Scleractinia), for which FWC prohibits harvest. Leave the colony and fragments in place; do not collect, damage or remove.

Florida seasons and areas

No recreational open season. Florida coral prohibitions apply to state and adjacent federal harvest; sanctuary and park protections also apply. Check mapped boundaries before any take. Blue Heron Bridge prohibits marine-life collection within the designated dive-site area, not all county fishing. Biscayne prohibits ornamental collection without a superintendent permit and has a mapped March 1–May 31 fishing/possession closure, effective March 2026, with properly stowed continuous transit excepted. Pennekamp prohibits tropical-fish collection and spearfishing. Key Largo Management Area prohibits taking tropical fish and marine invertebrates; the latter exceptions are commercial spiny-lobster/stone-crab trapping and recreational spiny-lobster hand/hand-gear take under applicable rules, not recreational crab collection. It separately prohibits spearfishing. Sanctuary Preservation Areas prohibit fishing and collection subject only to expressly stated exceptions. These are site restrictions, not a corridor-wide fishing ban.

Can it be speared?

Do not spear, damage or remove this coral. Protected-site rules provide additional restrictions.

Is it safe to eat?

No species/site-specific food-safety clearance or meal frequency was established. Legal harvest does not mean safe to eat; some marine toxins survive cooking and freezing. Consult current Florida Health guidance and local advisories. No dated, species-matched local menu evidence was verified; recipes remain disabled.

This species is a stony coral (Scleractinia), for which FWC prohibits harvest.

This review covers the Vero Beach–Key Largo Atlantic corridor: Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Florida Atlantic state waters and South Atlantic federal waters are distinct jurisdictions. Do not extend a state-water season tag to federal waters or transfer Atlantic rules to Gulf-side Keys waters. Park and sanctuary boundaries can override a species allowance.

Before you act: Confirm the species, date, exact management area, state or federal waters, gear, licenses and current local closures. A local occurrence record never grants permission to take an animal.

Official rules and health guidance

Reviewed 2026-11-11. Rules and advisories can change; check the linked authorities before acting.

Identification and source cautions

A historical record does not establish current colony survival or abundance.
Color and growth form can vary; illustrative field clues are not a complete taxonomic key.
Colony width, height and reproductive size are not interchangeable with fish-style body length.
Legal and image review remain separate publication gates.
Family follows the accepted WoRMS record Rhizangiidae; older identification sources may use Siderastreidae.

Sources and review

Biology and taxonomy reviewed 2026-11-11. Photographs on cited sites are reference material and are not reproduced here.

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