DISCOVERY OF A UNKNOWN CORAL IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
The discovery of this scleractinous coral Leptoseris troglodyta in the reefs of Mayotte is remarkable and significant in several respects. Its discovery was published in the Bulletin Of Marine Science.
This is a very rare species, having only been reported once in the scientific literature, in an article that was in fact the original description. So far, it has only been reported from the western Pacific Ocean. Its presence in the southwest Indian Ocean represents a remarkable case of a totally disjointed geographical distribution. This coral Leptoseris troglodyta holds a special place within the genus Leptoseris, due to its small size and unique funnel shape, but because it is the only species of the genus to be devoid of symbiotic algae ( zooxanthellae). As a result of the above, it is exclusively cave-dwelling, and the only species of the genus to thrive in such a habitat. Thanks to the experience of technical divers and underwater photographers, Deep Blue Exploration has been able to obtain unique and spectacular in situ images at depths between 60 and 90 meters.