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 on a Reefscapers coral frame
coral frame
Acropora muricata thicket on reefscapers coral frame
thicket on coral frame
Acropora muricata coral growing into thicket in deep water
deep water thicket
Acropora muricata branching pattern coral
branching pattern
Acropora muricata compact shallow bleached with blue tips
bleached with blue tips (compact, shallow)
Acropora muricata coral fluorescence
coral fluorescence
Acropora muricata coral skeleton showing variable radial corallite size
coral skeleton showing variable radial corallite size
Acropora muricata axial corallite detail
coral skeleton showing axial corallite detail
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