Florent's Guide To The

Tropical Reefs

Boulder Star Coral
Orbicella franksi
Boulder Star Coral
Category: Stony Corals
Scientific Name: Orbicella franksi
Synonyms: Montastraea franksi
Size: Colony 1 to 10 ft. (0.3 to 3 m)  
Depth: 6-130 ft. (2-40 m)
Distribution: Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida
Note: Previously classified as a variation of Montastraea annularis
Cnidaria (Phylum)
└Anthozoa (Subphylum)
 └Hexacorallia (Class)
  └Scleractinia (Order)
   └Merulinidae (Family)
    └Orbicella (Genus)

Corals
Stony Corals

Boulder Star Coral

Common Lettuce Coral

Pectinia paeonia

Great Star Coral

Diffuse Ivory Bush Coral

Pearl Bubble Coral

Bubble Coral

Ten-Ray Star Coral

Yellow Pencil Coral

Antler Coral

Cauliflower Coral

Needle Coral

Mustard Hill Coral

Thin Finger Coral

Branched Finger Coral

Clubtip Finger Coral

Lesser Starlet Coral

Massive Starlet Coral

Smooth Star Coral

Staghorn Coral

Elkhorn Coral

Acropora subulata

Rice Coral

Scaled Lettuce Coral

Lettuce Coral

Purple Lettuce Coral

Fragile Saucer Coral

Dimpled Sheet Coral

Low Relief Lettuce Coral

Whitestar Sheet Coral

Thin Leaf Lettuce Coral

Sunray Lettuce Coral

Leptoseris explanata

Blushing Star Coral

Speckled Cup Coral

Cladopsammia gracilis

Orange Cup Coral

Black Sun Coral

Anchor Coral

Boulder Brain Coral

Grooved Brain Coral

Golfball Coral

Rose Coral

Knobby Brain Coral

Symmetrical Brain Coral

Rough Star Coral

Spiny Flower Coral

Knobby Cactus Coral

Rough Cactus Coral

Ridged Cactus Coral

Artichoke/Solitary Disk Coral

Atlantic Mushroom Coral

Ctenactis albitentaculata

Ctenactis echinata

Common Mushroom Coral

Herpolitha limax

Fungia concinna

Lithophyllon undulatum

Common Razor Coral

Granular Razor Coral

Polyphyllia talpina

Button Coral

Symphyllia radians

Micromussa lordhowensis

Pillar Coral

Elliptical Star Coral

Smooth Flower Coral

Whitevalley Maze Coral

Maze Coral

Lobed Star Coral

Mountainous Star Coral



All Photographs
© 2025 Florent Charpin