Common name : black tube coral, black sun coral, black cup coral

Aspect : Dendrophylliidae is very diverse family of stony corals though focusing here on "Tubastraea micranthus". Dark color, tree-like growth forms dense, stiff, vertical branches with cavities on the polyps reminiscent of the appearance of the octopus tentacles

Feeding : Tubastraea genus is non-photosynthetic, lacking symbiotic zooxanthellae (algae that provide energy via sunlight), so it relies entirely on capturing food from the water column (zooplankton, chopped marine proteins (fish, clam), brine shrimp)

Environment : native to the Indo-Pacific (Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Philippines) but invasive in regions like the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, it thrives in shaded, low-light habitats such as caves, crevices, overhangs, shipwrecks, and artificial structures—often in deeper waters (up to 200+ feet) where light is minimal