Heteropsammia cochlea
species of cnidarian
Heteropsammia cochlea, also known as walking dendro, is a species of small solitary coral in the family Dendrophylliidae that is native to the Indo-Pacific area.
Description
This small solitary free-living coral, not more than 2.5 cm across, is not fixed to the sea floor. It is composed of one or two corallites in the shape of a figure of eight when observed from top, making it easy to identify.
The base in contact with the bottom is relatively circular, depending on the nature of the substrate it is either flat or slightly keeled.
The base has an orifice that houses a commensal worm belonging to the family Aspidosiphonidae.
The overall color is yellowish, grayish or greenish.
The polyp tentacles can be seen deployed, especially at night.
Distribution & habitat
The walking dendro is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific area from the eastern coasts of Africa, Red Sea included, to Philippines and from southern Japan to Australia and New Caledonia.
This species likes the sea floor, flat bottom or with a gentle slope, from one meter to 40 meters deep.
Biology
The walking dendro is a common species that can be relatively abundant in some areas.
The public source identifies “Heteropsammia cochlea” as species of cnidarian. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Heteropsammia, cochlea and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Heteropsammia cochlea”, the useful work is to connect “species of cnidarian” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3956078. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Heteropsammia cochlea”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Heteropsammia cochlea primary sources, Heteropsammia cochlea archive and Heteropsammia research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Heteropsammia cochlea” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.