
Coral Description
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia >> Phylum: Cnidaria >> Class: Anthozoa >> Order: Scleractinia >> Family: Acroporidae
Appearance:
- Irregularly branching colonies, can grow to >2 m across
- Form thickets
- Sturdy upright/prostrate branches
- Branches taper slightly
Colour: Usually brown or pinkish brown
Axial Corallites:
- Dome shaped
- Incipient axial corallites common
Radial Corallites:
- Large
- Conical
- Irregularly spaced
- Thick smooth walls
Similar species: Acropora rudis has larger branches and corallites, radial corallites are restricted to the upper side of branches. Acropora austera has thinner branches and radial corallites are usually more tubular.
Habitat: Shallow reefs
Acropora hemprichii purple polyps and dome-shaped axial corallites
purple polyps and dome-shaped axial corallites
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