
Coral Description
Taxonomy:
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 corallites closeup (highly appressed here)
corallites closeup (highly appressed here)
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