Researchers from Victoria University have discovered an enormous black coral in New Zealand’s Fiordland national park. Measuring four metres high and 4.5 metres wide, the Antipathella fiordensis is estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old.
Professor James Bell described the specimen, which is listed as protected, as the largest he has seen in his 25-year career. While white in colour, the coral’s skeleton is black. These slow-growing specimens are vital for the species’ breeding stock, which faces increasing threats from rising ocean temperatures, acidification, and destructive fishing practices.
