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Ctenella
Ctenella chagius
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Hexacorallia
Order:	Scleractinia
Family:	Euphylliidae
Genus:	Ctenella Matthai, 1928
Species:	C. chagius
Binomial name
Ctenella chagius Matthai, 1928

Ctenella is a monotypic genus of stony coral in the family Euphylliidae. It is represented by a single species, Ctenella chagius. These corals are massive in size with meandering valleys between the calyces which have solid, non-porous walls and fine, evenly spaced, solid septae. They are found in the Indian Ocean being endemic to the Chagos Archipelago. It forms solid, smooth hemispherical domes.

Description

Ctenella chagius is a massive, hemispherical, colonial coral with a fissured surface and brain-like appearance. The individual polyps that secrete the stony skeleton project from stony cups called corallites arranged in rows in long meandering valleys. The width between the solid ridges on either side is about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) with the valleys being about 1 cm (0.4 in) deep. The fine septa that radiate from the corallites are closely packed and evenly spaced, some continuing upwards and over the ridges. This coral is a pale brown colour and can grow to a metre (yard) in diameter. It is a zooxanthellate coral and has symbiotic unicellular dinoflagellate algae living within its tissues.

Distribution

Ctenella chagius is found around the Chagos Islands. It is found in lagoons and on reef slopes at depths of up to 45 metres (148 ft).

Status

Ctenella chagius is listed as being "critically endangered" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The size of its population is unknown but the reefs on which it lives are being degraded at a faster rate than it is likely to be able to establish new colonies. It is very susceptible to coral bleaching and coral diseases, both of which are on the increase as sea temperatures rise. There are also threats to the coral from human activities but the Chagos Islands are now part of the Chagos Marine Protected Area which should provide a measure of protection for this coral.

References

1. ^ Wilson, B.; Cowburn, B.; Obura, D.O. (2024). "Ctenella chagius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T133701A129471211. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
2. Family Meandrinidae Classification of Scleractinian (Stony) Corals. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
3. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Ctenella chagius Matthai, 1928". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
4. Family Meandrinidae Classification of Scleractinian (Stony) Corals. Retrieved 2012-11-20.

v t e Corals and coral reefs
Hexacorallia	Black Brain Elegance Hermatypic Chalice Pillar Table Elkhorn Staghorn †Rugose †Tabulate
Octocorallia	Bamboo Blue Organ pipe Sea fans Sea pens
Coral reefs	Atoll Cay Coral Deep-water coral mesophotic coral reef Fringing Microatoll Coral reef fish Census of Coral Reefs The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs Catlin Seaview Survey Spur and groove formation
Coral regions	List of reefs African coral reefs Amazon Reef Andros, Bahamas Apo Reef Baa Atoll Belize Barrier Reef Coral Sea Islands Coral Triangle East African coral coast Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Great Barrier Reef India Jamaica Kiribati Lakshadweep Maldives Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System New Caledonia barrier reef Ningaloo Reef Non-tropical regions Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Pulley Ridge Raja Ampat Islands Red Sea Solomon Archipelago Southeast Asian coral reefs Tuvalu Archipelago Virgin Islands Yabiji
Coral diseases	Coral bleaching Black band disease Skeletal eroding band Stony coral tissue loss disease White band disease White pox disease
Conservation	Environmental issues with coral reefs Coral reef protection Coral reef restoration Reef resilience Organizations Coral Reef Alliance Green Fins International Coral Reef Society Project AWARE Reef Ball Reef Check
Symbiotic algae	Zooxanthellae Amphidinium Symbiodinium
Other	Artificial reef Aquaculture of coral Coral dermatitis Precious coral Coral rag Coral sand Coralline algae Deep-water coral Fire coral

• IUCN Red List critically endangered species
• Scleractinia genera
• Euphylliidae
• Animals described in 1928
• Monotypic cnidarian genera