Black corals are colonial cnidarians in the order Antipatharia. Cnidarians are animals that live exclusively in aquatic environments and use specialized cells for capturing prey – most people are familiar with the sting of a jellyfish! Antipatharians are actually a group of several families (Antipathidae, Aphanipathidea, Cladopathidae, Leiopathidae, Myriopathidae, and Schizopathidea) that includes over 200 described species. Black coral have separate sexes (separate males and females) and are covered in tiny spines, the shape, size and density of which aid in the identification of the species.
Black coral occur throughout the world’s oceans, but are most common in tropical deep water habitats from 30-80 m depth. In the United States, black coral is native to California, the Western Pacific islands (American Samoa, Guam, Hawai‘i, and Northern Marianas), Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean islands (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Although the taxon is widespread, black coral is patchy in distribution and generally occurs at a low abundance. All species of black coral are long-lived and are characterized by slow growth relative to other branching corals, delayed first reproduction, limited larval dispersal and low rates of recruitment, low natural adult mortality. Black coral is commercially harvested primarily for the jewelry trade. More recently, a small trade in live specimens for aquarium organisms has been reported. Mariculture (or “farming” of coral) appears to be economically profitable only with fast-growing species.
To ensure that international black coral trade is not detrimental to the survival of wild populations, all Antipatharians were listed in Appendix II of CITES in 1981.
Black Coral and CoP15
At the 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP15), there are no proposals to transfer black coral species from Appendix II to Appendix I or from Appendix I to Appendix II.
There is one agenda item specifically regarding black coral, which seeks to improve the identification of CITES-listed corals in international trade:
• Identification of worked specimens of black coral (Antipatharia) http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/15/doc/E15-37.pdf
There is one other agenda item relating to the black coral listing, which seeks to improve the identification of all CITES-listed corals in international trade:
• Identification of CITES-listed corals in trade (United States of America) http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/15/doc/E15-36.pdf
Adapted from information authored by Patricia De Angelis (FWS), Andy Bruckner (NOAA), and Tony Montgomery (Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources-Division of Aquatic Resources)
