Experimental comparison of skeletal growth rates in the cold-water coral Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758 and three tropical scleractinian corals

► Growth rates of cold-water and tropical corals are compared using the same method. ► Tropical corals grow more when capture prey than only through autotrophy. ► Cold coral M. oculata has similar growth rates than the tropical unfed G. fascicularis. ► Some cold-water corals can grow at similar rates than some tropical corals.