Siderastrea Coral Fossil, Florida

Late Pleistocene

This fossil coral is a unique piece of nature formed over years of history. Siderastrea coral, also known as massive or round starlet coral, is a type of stony coral found in the shallow parts of the Atlantic Ocean, mainly the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the coasts of southern Florida, the Bahamas, and West Africa. It is a slow-growing, stress-tolerant species that has been around since the late Pleistocene epoch. They take the shape of boulders and low-lying domes, which allows them to live in environs with strong currents and boosts the health of coral reef ecosystems.

This Siderastrea fossil has dozens of raised, cupped corallites where the polyps of the coral would anchor. Inside each corallite, you can see thin, delicate blades called septa and are vital for coral identification. It doesn’t hurt that these corallites create visually interesting points of interest on the fossil, allowing the viewer to get lost in the organic and unique shapes of each one.

Due to the size of this item, it is Pickup Only from the Houston Museum of Natural Science – Hermann Park location.