Extinct Sea Anemones & Corals

Sea anemones and corals are marine animals of the class Anthozoa. Although the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has not listed any animal from this class as extinct, that does not mean there aren't some. It has been calculated that 50,000-60,000 coral species could become extinct if only 5% of reef area is destroyed and 300,000-400,000 coral species could become extinct if 30% of the global reefs were destroyed (Carlton et al. 1999). Many probably unnoticed.
Extinct Species (1) Extinct Subspecies (0) Missing (1)
Extinct in the Wild (0) Not Recognised (0) Other Animal Groups

 

Species (1) / Subspecies (0)
Scientific Name Common Name TEW Status IUCN Status
Millepora boschmai Unknown EX CR
The hydrocoral Millepora boschmai, endemic to Panama, disappeared from shallow reef habitats during the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and was believed to have suffered extinction (Glynn and de Weerdt 1991). A survey in a relatively deep, off-reef habitat about nine years following the first disappearance of this species revealed a living population of under 100 colonies (Glynn and Feingold 1992). Evidently this population, located on the north shore of Uva Island (named Lazarus Cove), Gulf of Chiriquí, Panamá, survived the 1982-83 ENSO warming event. Unfortunately, all of these colonies bleached and died six years later, during the 1997-98 ENSO. (Glynn 2001) No confirmed living animals are known, although animals possibly conspecific with this species have recently been reported from Indonesia. Research into this possibility is recommended. (IUCN 2008)