Millepora boschmai De Weerdt & Glynn, 1991
Boschmai's fire coral
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Conservation Status
Missing [if endemic to Panama] (Guzmán & Edgar, 2008a,b; Glynn, 2011) but taxonomy requires investigation (see Cavada-Blanco et al., 2024)
Last record: early 1990's (Glynn & Feingold, 1992; Anonymous, 1993 in Glynn et al., 2001; Guzmán & Edgar, 2008a,b; Cavada-Blanco et al., 2024)
IUCN RedList status: Data Deficient
Originally known only from Panama, where it was last recorded in the early 1990's (Glynn & Feingold, 1992; Anonymous, 1993 in Glynn et al., 2001). However, the validity of the species is uncertain (see Cavada-Blanco et al., 2024), and this is exacerbated by the report of a disjunct population in Indonesian waters (Razak & Hoeksema, 2003). It is definitely known only from Panamanian waters, where it may be locally extinct (Glynn, 2011), and therefore may be globally extinct or taxonomically invalid depending upon the results of a full taxonomic investigation into the species.
Distribution & Habitat
Gulf of Chiriquí, Panama (& Indonesia?)
Type locality: "Uva Island, Contreras Islands, Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama, 2-3 m".
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Holotype: RMNH Coel. 14771
Paratypes:
RMNH Coel. 14772
USNM 88321
ZMA Coel. 8449
STRI (no catalogue number)
USNM 88343-47, 88350-52, 88355
ZMA Coel. 8450-52
R M NH Coel. 17985
Z MA Coel. 8453
Media
References
Original scientific description:
De Weerdt, W. H. and Glynn, P. W. (1991). A new and presumably now extinct species of Millepora (Hydrozoa) in the eastern Pacific. Zool. Meded., Leiden 65 15: 267-276.
Other references:
Cavada-Blanco, F., Wilson, B., Santodomingo, N., Nuñez Lendo, C.I., Croquer, A., Samimi Namin, K. and Shlesinger, T. (2024). Millepora boschmai. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T133300A174746646. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T133300A174746646.en. Accessed on 15 May 2025.
del Monte-Luna, P., Lluch-Belda, D., Serviere-Zaragoza, E., Carmona, R., Reyes-Bonilla, H., Aurioles-Gamboa, D., Castro-Aguirre, J. L., del Próo SA, G., Trujillo-Millán, O. and Brook, B. W. (2007). Marine extinctions revisited. Fish and Fisheries 8(2): 107-122.
del Monte-Luna, Pablo et al. (2023). A review of recent and future marine extinctions. Cambridge Prisms: Extinction 1: e13. https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2023.11
Glynn, Peter W. (1972). Observations on the ecology of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Panama: 13-30. In: M. L. Jones (ed.). The Panamic biota: some observations prior to a sea level canal. Bull. Biol. Soc. Wash. 2.
Glynn, Peter W. (2011). In tandem reef coral and cryptic metazoan declines and extinctions. Bulletin of Marine Science 87(4): 767-794.
Glynn, Peter W. and Feingold, J. S. (1992). Hydrocoral species not extinct. Science 257: 1845.
Glynn, Peter W., Maté, J. L., Baker, A. C. and Calderón, M. O. (2001). Coral bleaching and mortality in Panama and Ecuador during the 1997–1998 El Niño–Southern oscillation event: Spatial/temporal patterns and comparisons with the 1982–1983 event. Bulletin of Marine Science 69(1): 79-109.
Glynn, Peter W. and de Weerdt, W. H. (1991). Elimination of two reef-building hydrocorals following the 1982–83 El Nino warming event. Science 253: 69-71.
Guzmán, H. and Edgar, G. (2008a). Millepora boschmai. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. (http://www.iucnredlist.org). Downloaded on 20 December 2010.
Guzmán, H. and Edgar, G. (2008b). Millepora boschmai. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T133300A3678127. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133300A3678127.en. Accessed on 09 July 2022.
Razak, T. B. and Hoeksema B. W. (2003). The hydrocoral genus Millepora (Hydrozoa: Capitata: Milleporidae) in Indonesia. Zool. Verh. Leiden 345: 313-336.
Schuchert, P. (2011). Millepora boschmai de Weerdt & Glynn, 1991. In: Schuchert, P. World Hydrozoa database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=287419 on 2011-09-12
Schuchert, P., Choong, H., Galea, H., Hoeksema, B., Lindsay, D., Manko, M. and Pica, D. (2025). World Hydrozoa Database. Millepora boschmai De Weerdt & Glynn, 1991. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=287419 on 2025-05-15
https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/11313/millepora-boschmai