Table Coral

Table corals are among the most architecturally impressive reef-builders in Komodo National Park, forming massive flat-topped colonies that extend horizontally from the reef slope like natural shelving. Individual table coral colonies can reach diameters of over 3 metres, creating shaded micro-habitats beneath their broad canopies that shelter countless fish and invertebrates. These hard corals grow by extending their branches outward in a flat plane to maximise their exposure to sunlight, which fuels the photosynthesis of their symbiotic zooxanthellae algae. In Komodo, healthy table coral fields are a signature feature of sheltered reef slopes and upper walls, particularly at sites with clear water and moderate current. The space beneath large table corals is a busy neighbourhood — schools of damselfish hover above, soldierfish and squirrelfish hide in the shadows below, and hawkfish perch on the upper surface surveying their territory. Table corals grow slowly but steadily, and a colony several metres across may be decades old, making each one an irreplaceable piece of living reef heritage.