Black Coral

Black corals are among the oldest and most ecologically important yet frequently overlooked inhabitants of Komodo's deeper reef walls. Despite their common name, living black coral colonies are not black at all — they appear as delicate, feathery bushes or whip-like structures in shades of white, yellow, green, or brown, coloured by the living tissue that covers the dark skeleton beneath. It is the internal skeleton, made of a tough, proteinaceous material called antipathin, that is jet black and historically valued for jewellery. Black corals are found at moderate to deep depths on current-exposed walls, where they extend their fine branches to capture zooplankton from the water column. In Komodo, black coral trees and wire corals (a related group) are important habitat for numerous associated species including longnose hawkfish, coral gobies, and various shrimp and crabs. These slow-growing organisms can live for hundreds or even thousands of years — some of the oldest living organisms on the planet. Their extreme longevity and slow growth rate make them highly vulnerable to damage from anchoring, trawling, and collection for the jewellery trade.