Symmetrical Brain Coral

Photo: Andreina Valdez-Trinidad · CC BY-NC

Symmetrical brain corals are the dominant structural species on the Les Arcadins reef system, their hemispherical colonies growing only a centimetre or two per year to reach the massive sizes observed here. The grooved surface of each colony provides refuge for cleaning shrimp and small gobies, and the colonies at Les Arcadins are among the largest living examples of this species documented in Haitian waters.