Paraminabea soft corals (no English common name)
Paraminabea
Genus-level entry: species are told apart only by microscopic features (sclerites). Valid genus (WoRMS, AphiaID 267691, checked 2026-10-31). Species recorded from the Maldives: Paraminabea aldersladei, Paraminabea indica.
- English
- Paraminabea soft corals (no English common name)
- Scientific
- Paraminabea
- Dhivehi
- No recorded Dhivehi name
- IUCN status
- NE · Not EvaluatedNot Evaluated (NE) as a genus; most species not assessed
Description
Paraminabea are small soft corals that live in caves and under overhangs. They form finger-like or knobby colonies, often red or orange, with white polyps that open to feed. Colonies are easily overlooked in the shade. Species are told apart only by microscopic features.
In the Maldives
Recorded from the Maldives: museum specimens (n=1); iNaturalist research-grade observations at species level (n=4).
Sources
- marinespecies.org /aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=267691
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Minabea_aldersladei_(Leather_coral).jpg
Dhivehi name source: No species-level Dhivehi name found in Dhivehi Wikipedia, SeaLifeBase (country: Maldives) or MRS/MMRI invertebrate publications.