Acropora humilis

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia >> Phylum: Cnidaria >> Class: Anthozoa >> Order: Scleractinia >> Family: Acroporidae

Appearance:

• Digitate colonies
• Thick and tapering at tip
• Branchlets and incipient corallites appear at branch bases

Colour: Cream, brown, purple, or blue. Tips can be lighter or blue in colour.

Axial Corallites:

• Large and dome shaped

Radial Corallites:

• Two sizes, sometimes in alternating rows
• Larger radial corallites have thick walls and slightly increase in size towards the branch base

Similar species: A. gemmifera has smaller axial corallites and radial corallites increase in length down branches.

Environment: Exposed upper reef slopes and shallow reef flats.