The bladed fire coral forms a colony made up of thin vertical plates or blades that develop from an encrusting base. Its color ranges from bronze to yellow-orange or brown, while the outer edge displays a distinctive whitish tint.

The bladed fire coral is found in the warm waters of the Caribbean sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic, along the coasts of Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Belize.

The bladed fire coral thrives in well-lit shallow areas of reefs, where it can grow on rocks and hard substrates.

The bladed fire coral is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The bladed fire coral appears in the IUCN Red List since 2022 within the category Critically Endangered !

Be careful not to touch or get too close to the bladed fire coral, as it has stinging cells that can cause painful skin irritation in divers.