Lophelia is a common cold-water coral, found throughout the ocean, generally at depths between 200 and 1000 meters, though there are records from as shallow as 40 m and as deep as 3000 m. Like familiar shallow/warm-water corals, Lophelia secretes a hard calcium carbonate skeleton, making it a reef-forming coral. It can form large reef systems, with complex three-dimensional structure, creating habitat for thousands of other species. (Fosså, 2011; Lophelia.org)

"Genus Lophelia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849

 

Diagnosis. Colonial, forming large dendroid colonies by intratentacular budding. Coenosteum dense. Costae and columella poorly developed. Pali absent. Sparse tabular endothecal dissepiments.

 

Type-species: Madrepora prolifera Pallas, 1766, by subsequent designation (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1850)." Cairns 1982, p. 30.

Lophelia occurs throughout the cold-temperate through tropical ocean, usually at depths between 200 and 2000 m and in temperatures between 4°C and 12°C (Coll et al., 2010; Danovaro et al., 2010; Fautin et al., 2010; TRACES, 2010; Fosså, 2011).

Depth range based on 2 specimens in 2 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 2 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 536 - 536
  Temperature range (°C): 10.968 - 10.968
  Nitrate (umol/L): 13.894 - 13.894
  Salinity (PPS): 35.573 - 35.573
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.925 - 4.925
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.785 - 0.785
  Silicate (umol/l): 5.837 - 5.837
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Depth range based on 1934 specimens in 2 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 1365 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 25 - 80000
  Temperature range (°C): 1.112 - 25.285
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.239 - 40.389
  Salinity (PPS): 33.434 - 38.810
  Oxygen (ml/l): 0.321 - 6.944
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.051 - 3.216
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.942 - 95.717

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 25 - 80000

Temperature range (°C): 1.112 - 25.285

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.239 - 40.389

Salinity (PPS): 33.434 - 38.810

Oxygen (ml/l): 0.321 - 6.944

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.051 - 3.216

Silicate (umol/l): 0.942 - 95.717
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Lophelia has been found between 40 and 3000 m depth (generally between 200-2000m) in cold water between 4°C and 12°C attached to substrates that include whale carcasses, rock, and calcium carbonate deposts. (Schroeder, 2002; TRACES, 2010; Fosså, 2011).