Fish identification archive / Mountainous Star Coral

Mountainous Star Coral

Orbicella faveolata

Fun facts for your next surface interval

The star-coral complex was separated into three species in the 1990s. [source]
It occurs on mesophotic reefs deeper than 40 m. [source]
NOAA included it in August 2025 spawning observations. [source]

Florida and local context

Table 1 reports in situ sampled Orbicella faveolata at Broward County site 4 on 19 November 2016. Figure 3C separately labels the local underwater colony photograph.

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

Sources: Local occurrence: Broward County site 4, southeast Florida

How to recognize this animal

A massive mound with an uneven, rolling surface, smaller lobes and sometimes a skirt-like edge. Growth form supports identification, but compare other members of the Orbicella star-coral complex.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Size and life stages

NOAA reports maturity at roughly 10 cm and slow growth near 1 cm per year. These are developmental and growth measures, not a maximum diameter or a diver’s size-limit rule.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Habitat and where to look

Recorded across reef environments from about 1–45 m, including deeper mesophotic reefs. The broader complex reaches still deeper water; keep those scopes separate.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Range and local context

The local evidence is Broward County site 4, southeast Florida. Table 1 reports in situ sampled Orbicella faveolata at Broward County site 4 on 19 November 2016. Figure 3C separately labels the local underwater colony photograph. This documents a particular record rather than continuous occupancy throughout the corridor.

Sources: Local occurrence: Broward County site 4, southeast 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

Partial mortality can split large colonies into smaller living patches. Apparent colony size is consequently an unreliable shortcut to age.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference

Mating and the next generation

This coral broadcasts eggs and sperm during late summer. NOAA’s upper-Keys monitoring specifically included August 2025 spawning work; neither statement guarantees a future dive encounter.

Sources: Species biology and identification reference; NOAA 2025 spawning report

Look-alikes and identification traps

The other members of its complex are lobed star coral and boulder star coral. Their former treatment as one species makes old records and simplified labels particularly easy to misread.

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.

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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