Fire Coral

What is Fire Coral?

Fire coral is related to jellyfish and anemones, and just like these creatures, it can really, really, sting. Learn to identify fire coral and then be sure to avoid it! Divers should be on the lookout for fire coral in tropical and subtropical seas. 

Most Fire Coral Has White Tips

Fire coral is tricky -- it disguises itself in regular coral shapes. Divers have reported seeing fire coral in blade, branching, box, and even encrusting forms. As fire coral is easily confused with other corals, color is a good way to identify it. Most fire coral is a brownish-orange or brownish-green. It frequently has white tips, like the fire coral trying to hide next to a sponge in the photo.

Fire Coral Has Visible Stingers

Most fire coral has visible stingers. Observant divers may notice the coral's transparent, hair-like stingers sticking out from fire coral like tiny cactus spines. The fact that the stingers are hard to see is one of the reasons fire coral stings are so common. A diver may think he is a few millimeters away from a fire coral, when in reality he has already brushed against the tiny fire coral stingers.

Avoid Fire Coral Stings

To prevent fire coral stings, divers should stay far enough from the reef to avoid even accidental contact. Many apparently benign reefs conceal fire coral. However, unexpected events may cause even the most careful diver to inadvertently brush against the reef. Wearing a full wetsuit, or even a thin lycra dive skin, will help protect a diver swimming in an area with fire coral.

Fire Coral Stings May Be Difficult to Identify

Fire coral cuts appear as rashes or red welts, and are extremely painful. Fire coral stings may be difficult to diagnose because they do not begin to burn until 5 to 30 minutes after contact and, at first, the diver may not realize that he has been stung. Marine life injuries require a variety of treatments. When possible, divers should consult a doctor familiar with dive medicine to positively identify an injury as a fire coral sting.

Treat Fire Coral Injuries

To treat fire coral stings, divers recommend a variety of remedies such as vinegar, and rinsing with salt water. Do not wash a fire coral sting with fresh water, as this will cause the stinging cells lodged in the diver's skin to fire, increasing the burning sensation. If possible, divers should remove the stinging hairs from the wounded area with tweezers. Antibiotic and anti-itch cream may be applied to the injury as needed.

Fire coral stings become infected easily, and the burning sensation can lead to scratching, which increases the chance of infection and irritation. Always monitor any patient with a marine life injury for faintness, shortness of breath, and other signs of an allergic reaction