Coral Description
Kingdom: Animalia >> Phylum: Cnidaria >> Class: Anthozoa >> Order: Scleractinia >> Family: Acroporidae
Appearance:
- Various growth forms from bushy to plating
Colour: Usually pale blue or brown with light tips
Axial Corallites:
- Thick walls
- Variable- tubular to spherical
- Smooth and rounded
Radial Corallites:
- Thick walls
- Variable- tubular, spherical, pocket-like
- Smooth and rounded
Similar species: Acropora rosaria has a more upright branching pattern, A. appressa has larger axial corallites, A. caroliniana and A. granulosa longer and more exsert axial corallites.
Distinctive trait:
When axial corallites are tubular, often one side of the branch will lack radial corallites (appears smooth) and the other side will have pocket-like radial corallites
Habitat: Found in many environments but particularly common on upper reef slopes
Acropora loripes shallow reef
shallow reef
Acropora loripes on Reefscapers coral frame
Reefscapers coral frame
Acropora loripes coral colony
coral colony
Acropora loripes small coral colony starting to table
colony starting to table
Acropora loripes branch devoid of corallites
branch devoid of corallites
Acropora loripes coral skeleton
coral skeleton
Acropora loripes corallites closeup (highly appressed here)
corallites closeup (highly appressed here)
Acropora loripes coral fluorescence
coral fluorescence
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