Coral skeleton in salt

A skeleton of a single coral with a preserved calyx and side buds, partially embedded in clay salt with anhydrite. The coral obtained from the salt-bearing formations of the Wieliczka deposit is an ahermatypic (living solitarily and not building reefs), endemic species named Caryophyllia salinaria (Reuss). an endemic species are unique for a given place, occurring in a limited area. The coral calyx is not filled with rock material, which allows you to observe the internal structure, the partitions. The surface is covered with visible longitudinal stripes and buds of smaller individuals.