Nanipora Explained

Nanipora is a monotypic genus of cnidarian in the family Lithotelestidae. It consists of one species, Nanipora kamurai.

Discovery

Nanipora kamurai was first discovered in a public swimming area in Okinawa. The species is considered to be a "living fossil" because the animals most closely related to it genetically are extinct.^[1] They are found in coral reefs in Japan and Thailand, and sea beds in the north South China Sea. ^[2]

Nanipora kamurai may potentially possess the unique ability to survive in extreme environmental conditions caused by ocean acidification. ^[3]

Further reading

• Cordeiro, R., van Ofwegen, L. & Williams, G. (2015). Nanipora kamurai Miyazaki & Reimer, 2015 at the WoRMS Web-site. Retrieved from the World List of Octocorallia data-base.

Notes and References

1. http://www.lifewatch.be/en/worms-top10-2007-2017#living The 'living fossil' octocoral Nanipora kamurai Miyazaki & Reimer, 2015
2. Miyazaki, Y., Alves Santos, M. E., Kunihiro, S., Weinstein, D. K., & Reimer, J. D. (2016). Rarity of Nanipora kamurai (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Helioporacea) at its type locality. Marine Biodiversity, 46(4), 917–921. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-015-0435-4
3. Reimer, J. D., Kurihara, H., Ravasi, T., Ide, Y., Izumiyama, M., & Kayanne, H. (2021). Unexpected high abundance of aragonite-forming Nanipora (Octocorallia: Helioporacea) at an acidified volcanic reef in southern Japan. Marine Biodiversity, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-021-01165-0