
Coral Description
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia >> Phylum: Cnidaria >> Class: Anthozoa >> Order: Scleractinia >> Family: Acroporidae
Appearance:
- Arborescent colonies forming thickets
- Branches are cylindrical
- Compact in shallow water and open in deeper environments
Colony size: can be over 10m across
Colour: Usually cream, brown or blue.
Axial Corallites:
- Prominent and protruding
Radial Corallites:
- Tubular
- Can be uniform or variable in size and distribution
Similar species: Acropora teres has smaller axial and radial corallites, A. abrolhosensis has larger axial corallites, A. copiosa has smaller branches and corallites, A. intermedia has rasp-like radial corallites, and A. grandis has larger elongate radial corallites.
Habitat: Shallow lagoons and reef slopes
Acropora muricata coral skeleton showing variable radial corallite size
coral skeleton showing variable radial corallite size
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