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A colonial coral-like hydrozoan, the heavy external skeleton of which forms reefs. The polyps bear nematocysts that can inflict painful stings.
Genus Millepora, order Hydroida (or Milleporina), class Hydrozoa
‘This area showed numbers of plankton-feeding fish and large areas of fire coral, reflecting the extent of prevailing currents over this reef.’
‘In my excitement, I had failed to notice that the sprig was of fire coral.’
‘We had to be careful not to touch the fire coral as it has a very painful sting on contact.’
‘By 10m the large corals and sponges give way to the clean lines of old volcanic rock, on closer inspection encrusted with patches of fire coral, sponges and star corals.’
‘The Aquarium offered beautiful table corals smothered in soft corals, pinnacles full of fish and a spectacular fringing reef with a wall of giant fire corals.’