CORAL IDENTIFICATION AMERICAN SAMOA

Chuck Birkeland, University of Hawai’i, Zoology Dept. November 2001

Phylum Cnidaria (or Coelenterata which once included Ctenophora) Class Hydrozoa (two of the orders produce solid calcareous skeletons and are called

“hydrocorals”) - no mesenteries, no septa, no stomodeum, tiny polyps

Order Milleporina (“fire corals”)

1 genus; 10 - 15 species With zooxanthellae, grow out in the open Only hermatypic corals with complex life cycle; sex in medusa stage Medusa stage buds in internal chambers, medusa sexual stage. Dimorphism: gastrozooids for feeding, dactylozooids for defending.

Millepora dichotoma - colonies branching, usually in one plane, with flattened stems

fused into reticular patterned plates

Millepora platyphylla - extensive encrusting or submassive base from which solid upright plates develop

Millepora tuberosa - encrusting with irregular lumpy or nodular surface; looks like

lavender red crustose coralline algae

Order Stylasterina

Without zooxanthellae, grow under overhangs or in crevices or caves. Brood larvae. No medusa stage.

Stylaster gracilis - Arborescent with fine branches growing in one plane. Dimorphism,

one feeding polyp surrounded by a ring of defending polyps.

Distichopora gracilis - Arborescent with flattened, blunt-ended, non-anastomosing branches of uniform width growing in one plane. Feeding polyps in a row, with a row of defending polyps on both sides.

Class Scyphozoa (large medusa, small polyp [often longer lived]) Stephanocyphus, white or green, hidden in algal turf

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Class Cubozoa

(large medusa, small polyp [often longer lived]

Class Anthozoa

No medusa stage. Mesenteries allow polyps to grow large by increasing surface areas. Mesenteries contain mesoglea. Septa present. Mesenteries location of gonads, contractile muscles. Chord-like structure at the edge becomes free at the bottom and become acontia and mesenterial filament.

Subclass Octocorallia (= Alcyonaria)

Pinnate tentacles; 8 tentacles

Order Coenothecalia

Heliopora coerulea - blue coral

Order Pennatulacea

(one main-frame polyp, in sand)

Order Alcyonacea

Suborder Stolonifera - runners that bud polyps

Clavularia - field of grey ferns

Suborder Telestacea - polyps bud side-branch polyps

Tubipora musica - organ-pipe coral

Suborder Alcyoniina - leathery coenenchyme

Family Alcyoniidae - leathery, rubbery, massive

Sinularia - one kind of polyp, all sorts of arms and ridges

Lobophytum - two kinds of polyp, all sorts of arms and ridges

Sarcophyton - two kinds of polyp, flat mushroom

Cladiella - cauliflower “ghost corals”, one kind of black pepper polyp 2

Family Nidaliidae (Siphonogorgiidae)

Most spicules; spicule-supported walls; water-filled stalks; arborescent

Siphonogorgia - fans with no supporting skeletal framework

Chironephthya - look like desiccated or deflated fans with dense spicules

Family Nephtheidae

Large and conspicuous spicules; widened base; arborescent, stalks and capitulum (usually)

Azooxanthellate - brilliant colors

Dendronephthya - easily see white spicules in the tissues; polyps brilliantly colored

Scleronephthya - solid bright colors; looks like made of modeling clay

Zooxanthellate - generally grey-brown

Stereonephthya - scratchy tree

Nephthya - dull brown or grey tree

Litophyton - slimy tree

Lemnalia - leathery tree

Paralemnalia - fingers up from a pad

Family Xeniidae

Stalk and capitulum; reduced spicules, feels soft

Xenia - pulsating polyps

Suborder Scleraxonia

mats, carpets, and columns

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Suborder Holaxonia - scleroprotein axial skeleton plus CaCO3

gorgonians

Subclass Hexacorallia (= Zoantharia)

Order Actiniaria

Sea anemones; 1000+ species

Order Zoanthidea

Colonial or clonal; zooxanthellate; polyp diameter 0.5 to 2 cm; alternating up/down tentacles; often trumpet shaped; may incorporate sand

Order Corallimorpharia

Flat, wide oral disks, short polyp; short tentacles arranged in radiating rows; clonal aggregation; 3 to 10 cm.

Order Antipatharia

Six (6) simple tentacles (not octocorals); cannot be withdrawn; no additional

rhind

Order Ceriantharia

Burrowing in soft sediment; has a parchment tube; 2 cycles of tentacles, inner and outer

[Order Ptychodactiaria - Arctic and Antarctic deep water]

Order Scleractinia

SCLERACTINIA Triassic; families Mesozoic 6 suborders; 11 families of strictly tropical, zooxanthellate, reef-building species; 5 additional

families mix of zooxanthellate and non-zooxanthellate species; 7 families entirely non-zooxanthellate (= 23 families total)

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Suborder Astrocoeniina

No intermediates with other suborders since first found in Triassic Astrocoeniidae Stylocoeniella

Little pillar with each calice

Stylocoeniella armata - tucked away, small (usually < 5 cm), green Pocilloporidae

Arborescent, small plocoid calices Pocillopora

Bushy or cauliflower colonies characterized by wart-like clumps of polyps called verrucae

Pocillopora damicornis - verrucae are essentially the branches; numerous slender crooked branches with numerous short twig-like secondary stems along their length

Pocillopora danae - the verrucae are distinct and cover bulbous branches

Pocillopora meandrina - small uniform verrucae; meandering flabellate branches

Pocillopora verrucosa - permanently colored red-brown stalks; verrucae irregular in size;

branches have an upright form

Pocillopora eydouxi - colony consists of stout, latterally flattened columns Stylophora

Stylophora mordax - thick, blunt-ended branches; corallites immersed, hooded with rasp-like hoods

Seriatopora

Seriatopora hystrix - branches taper to a point; corallites in neat rows

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Acroporidae

(Field characters are site-specific.) Light spongy skeletons; very small to moderate calices; poorly developed septa; reduced or lost columella; widely separated small plocoid calices; costae often absent Four genera, greatest number of species

Acropora

SUBGENUS ISOPORA

More than one axial corallite per branch; thick cuneiform (wedge-shaped) branches; can be encrusting

Reproduces sexually by internal fertilization, larvae brooded before release

Acropora palifera - thick branches as ridges or columns with multiple axial corallites,

sometimes encrusting

Acropora cuneata - rounded clumps, cuneiform branching can form blade-like branches perpendicular to the reef front, can be encrusting

Acropora crateriformis - circular encrusting (up to 80 cm) brown “cow pies”

SUBGENUS ACROPORA

Single axial corallite forms axis of branch, opening at the tip. Nearly all are branching. The spongy skeleton and division of function of corallites into two types allows for rapid organized growth.

Reproduces by spawning

[Acropora austera group]

Acropora austera – colony is very rugged and rough irregular thicket; thick branches

with large bulbous tightly packed radial corallites

[Acropora humilis group]

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Sturdy, digitate or corymbose, terete or conical; size determine by axial corallite; very shallow surf zone, reef flat or edge; one or two sizes of radial corallites

Acropora humilis - Usually terete (to conical); generally one size of radial corallites; big

flat conspicuous white or blue tip axial polyp

Acropora gemmifera - just like A. humilis, but with immersed as well as larger radial corallites, i.e., 2 sizes

Acropora monticulosa - broad, low, conical; terminal polyp smaller than A. humilis or A.

gemmifera, about same size as radial polyps; corallites increase in size down the branches; bases often look hexagonal

Acropora samoensis - not so sturdy, caespitose-corymbose, frequent branching, branches

terete; radial corallites separate, not touching; cream or pale brown; very rough, radial corallites protrude a lot, especially near the base; found deeper, to 15 m

Acropora digitifera - digitate-corymbose, branches short and thin relative to others in

group; corallites close to branches; usually blue tips; large rims on corallite

[Acropora nasuta group]

Corallites nariform, even-sized or in 2 sizes, corymbose colonies

Acropora nasuta - branches almost as thick as fingers, fairly stout, white coenosteum

Acropora cerealis - thinner branches than A. nasuta; “spiny” appearance, extended outer radial corallite walls; white coenosteum, usually blue tips, surrounded by pink; plates side-attached or small tables

Acropora secale - long tubular and short nariform corallites; purple tip and yellow

branch, same color as A. valida but thicker

Acropora valida - small rounded corymbose or thick tables (same color as A. secale but thinner)

Acropora lutkeni (= A. ocellata) - radial corallites are rounded and smooth; irregular

corallites; sturdy branches, irregular growth so no two colonies alike; corymbose to irregular caespitose

[Acropora verweyi group] 7

Radial corallites evenly sized and shaped, with large round openings

Acropora verweyi - whitish or creamy brown, usually with orange axial corallites;

bulbous rounded club-shaped corallites; very long protruding purple or blue tip axial polyp; low clumps or patches, more flat-topped than rounded

Acropora glauca - stout looking; radial corallites evenly shaped, evenly arranges, just

touching; radial corallites appressed with large round tubular openings; corymbose or anastomizing corymbose; like rocky shores

[Acropora divaricata group]

Radial corallites contribute strongly to branch diameter; branches usually well-spaced and evenly arranged, which tends to produce symmetrical colonies; determinate growth

Acropora divaricata - break off a branch and see scribble marks; divergent branching

pattern within a bracket or rounded arborescent table, radial corallites are tubular, slight nariform, and tending towards appressed

Acropora clathrata - large tables, very flat surface; anastomosing branches; large spaces,

able to stick fingers in spaces

[Acropora muricata group]

Open branches, very arborescent

Acropora muricata (= Acropora formosa) - narrow tubular radial corallites close together; going every which way; thickets; relative smooth appearance from a distance

Acropora grandis - crumbly texture of axial corallites; open arborescent, usually 2 m tall;

usually in protected subtidal areas with sandy substrata

Acropora acuminata - open branching gives appearance of a corymbose thicket (1 m) ; like Acropora valenciennesi but smaller with maximum branch length of 25 cm; brown or blue; subtidal on reef slopes; appears prickly because of occasional protruding radial corallites; slender nasute; turns black when dead

Acropora valenciennesi - large very open arborescent table; very tall upward curving

branches

[Acropora robusta group] 8

Very sturdy branching; simple branching; axial corallite contributes to bulk of branch; very

raspy and solid like an anvil made of files

Acropora robusta (= Acropora paxilligera) - low arborescent tables; sturdy branches broad and tapering; central branches may be conical or even digitate; curving periferal branches; green with pink branch tips; columns in center are rounded

Acropora abrotanoides (= A. danai = A. irregularis = A. tutuilensis) - thick main

branches, proliferate distally as short branchlets; never green with pink tips; columns in center come to points

Acropora palmerae - sturdy encrusting, up to 2 m; occasional short irregularly shaped

branches; radial corallites like a rasp, except they face different directions

Acropora intermedia (= A. nobilis) - arborescent, large compact thickets; 2 sizes of radial corallites, one huge, 10 X the smaller

Acropora polystoma - small to medium sized (80 cm maximum); irregular table tops;

lavender or brown

Acropora listeri - low, sturdy, very irregular colonies (up to 50 cm); branches very ragged cones (thick Christmas tree branches) “looks like ice”

[Acropora selago group]

Radial corallites with flaring or pointed lower lips.

Acropora selago - spaces between corallites quite large, corallites flare out, colony looks

open; withdrawn radial polyps seen as darker tissue inside each radial corallite

Acropora yongei - very open; corallites flare so far out that they almost curve back on themselves; more arborescent and vertical than Acropora donei

Acropora donei – dense thickets of prostrate tapering branches which occasionally fuse, sub-branches form frequently; incipient axial corallites cover the upper surface of

horizontal branches, spiky looking colony (pictured as Acropora akajimensis in Veron’s 3-volume book). [Acropora pagoensis may be equivalent of this species.]

[Acropora aspera group]

Labellate corallites; rasp-like corallite group

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Acropora aspera (= Acropora hebes) - low sprawling colonies appear corymbose because of even height of branches; 2 distinct corallite sizes; reef flat intertidal; axial corallites large and form the thick main branches, much smaller side branches, bushy, irregular, very thick and sturdy, hispidose and arborescent, corallites large and obvious

Acropora pulchra - open, arborescent, thicket-like colonies; finer branches than A.

aspera; inner reef flat

Acropora millepora (= Acropora squamosa) - one corallite size; scale-like radial corallites, very evenly distributed and sized; short pointy (yellow) axial corallite about the same size as the radials; corymbose; outer reef flat

[Acropora hyacinthus group]

Tables, calices very even; digitate first, then grow to tables; labellate corallites

Acropora hyacinthus - Tables or plates; short, regular, rosette branches; wine pink

Acropora surculosa - Fuzzy, thick, tapering branches, and purplish color. Digitate with

thick, stubby, tapering branches that tend to have numerous wart-like, stubby side branchlets that do not develop much. Branches appear fuzzy, especially toward their base, as a result of expanded polyps. Polyps have one especially lonf tentacle which is responsible for this fuzzy appearance. Colonies are brownish purple.

Acropora cytherea (= Acropora symmetrica) - tabletop with anastomosing branches, can

slide fingers through spaces, at least partway; crumbly texture

Acropora microcladus - small tables (50 cm maximum), pink, just subtidally at reef edges

Acropora paniculata - more open anastomosing than Acropora cytherea, more delicate; very fine structure

[Acropora latistella group]

Corallites with round openings, evenly spaced; radial corallites contribute about half the branch diameter

Acropora latistella - thick plates with slender branches; fingers do not go through; branches curve up, but not near as much as in Acropora valenciennesi; can live in

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heavy siltation; can be tables, plates or low corymbose

Acropora nana - bunch of chopsticks; straight elongated branches; radial corallites are appressed

Acropora azurea - branches can be intertwined, a “pillow”; fine irregular anastomosing

branches arising from a solid base; radial corallites are very small and appressed to the branch; uniform sky-blue

Acropora aculeus - very jagged-looking because of side branches; yellow or fluorescent

green pillow; any habitat; horizontal branches are thin and spreading; upward projecting branchlets are fine; radial corallites have flaring lips

[Acropora horrida group]

Acropora horrida - irregular slender branches; polyps often out and extended during the

day; forms extensive thickets

[Acropora carduus group]

Bottlebrush corals; commonly found on lower reef slopes or on sandy lagoon bottoms; pocket-like radial corallites and numerous tubular axial corallites

Acropora carduus - radial corallites very round; like a pillow with a very small hole on

the top; sprawling bottlebrush; large thickets sometimes covering large areas

[Acropora loripes group]

Often whitish looking because of bare axial corallite wall; axial corallite prominant; tendency for absence of radial corallites in sections of space on axial wall

Acropora speciosa (= Acropora rambleri) - plates with slender tapering vertical

branchlets; narrow pointed axial corallite; few radial corallites; thin, tubular, long corallites stick out like spikes from narrow branchlets among more conventional corallites

Acropora squarrosa (possibly = Acropora loripes?) - scattered radial corallites give the

colony a glow; brown or pinkish brown; corymbose

[Acropora florida group]

Prostate main branches; dull greenish-grey or brown with pale-brown or pink branch tips

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Acropora sarmentosa - Superficially resembles Acropora florida in colony shape and color; one or two thick hispidose branches which extend horizontally; large rounded axial corallites like porcelain knobs; all corallites like porcelain knobs

Anacropora

[Thin-branched, arborescent, but lacks axial corellite; coenosteum is spinulose, but not elaborate; usually in murky water.]

Astreopora

Massive, encrusting or foliaceous; corallites immersed or conical; deep-set columella and relatively short septa give the small to medium-sized, steep-sided calices a deep empty appearance.

Astreopora myriophthalma - colonies are hemispherical with an even surface; corallites

are conical with rounded calices and evenly spaced

Astreopora cucullata - colonies are thick or encrusting plates; corallites are irregular, immersed on concave surfaces, exsert on convex surfaces, the latter usually facing the colony margins; spinules around the corallites give a feathery appearance

Montipora

Calices always very very small; calices immersed in a wide coenosteum; calices have poorly developed septa and look empty; coenosteum is ornamented by a variety of structures; it is the genus with the second greatest number of species Montipora nodosa – lumpy surface with polyps looking like white life-savers or

doughnuts Montipora grisea - very large piled-on spiky papillae; grey ring for outline; usually blue-

grey or green-grey

Montipora tuberculosa (= M. lobulata) – brown, encrusting, papillae and tuberculae thicker than spikes, like thin clubs

Montipor turtlensis – very large colonies in Ofu moat with shape like Porites rus, i.e., columnar in the center and fanning out with large plates around the perimeter, tan brown to dark brown

Montipora monasteriata (= M. elschneri) – tuberculae separated and tending towards

being short walls

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Montipora peltiformis - tightly reticulated tuberculae

Montipora hoffmeisteri - smooth, rounded lumps with scattered occasional calices

Montipora foveolata - sharp honey comb wall reminiscent of Porites lichen

Montipora venosa - honeycomb pits like irregular Gardineroseris pattern

Montipora socialis - steep-walled foveolation ridges enclosing all corallites in

conspicuous flat-floored depressions

Montipora caliculata - like M. foveolata but with heavier, less sharp, ridges

Montipora efflorescens (= M. berryi) – generally flat but irregular lumps, polyps very fluorescent blue or green; jagged spiky papillae

Montipora effusa – generally flat, papillae more in ridges, polyps also brightly colored

Montipora informis - bed of needles with all needles same length Montipora corbettensis – bed of needles with needles in two sizes

Montipora aequituberculata (= M. colei) - leafy, purple, granulated, encrusting form has

radiating tuberculae or ridges at edge, but pole-like tuberculae in the center

Montipora hispida (= M. composita = M. verrilli = M. ehrenberghii) - leafy colony like M. tuberculosa, but little spikes like a bed of nails rather than piled with papillae

Montipora foliosa - leafy, but with long radiating tuberculae (ridges) Montipora turgescens - rolling knuckles or mounds with smooth rather than spiky

coenosteum

Montipora calcarea (= M. granulosa) - flat undifferentiated coenosteum, relatively smooth surface

Suborder Fungiina

Thamnasteroid form = continuous septocostae among corallites Agariciidae 13

Crisp/dense septa Pavona - frondose, with erect, leafy, growths, both faces with corallites (only one face with

corallites in Leptoseris)

Pavona decussata - radiating, large, fan-like bifacial plates, with light development of coenosteal ridges, well-developed tentacular lobes making corallites quite distinctive

Pavona divaricata - more subdivided, contorted branching pattern; can become a

massive colony with well-developed sharp walls separating calices Pavona - encrusting/laminar, sometimes with some free margins, coenosteal ornamentation

absent to well developed

Pavona varians - flat with all sorts of little ridges and knobs called “collines”; colline development ranging from small monticules to long tall ridges; found almost throughout the Pacific to Central America and comes in many forms; probably a species complex

Pavona explanulata - encrusting with larger calices (3.5 - 6.5 mm) than most Pavona;

ployps tend to be expanded during the day; can be very flat and encrusting, but can become massive or widely-columnar in center when large

Pavona - columnar; with cylindrical/digitate columns which can develop into massive erect,

thick, parallel-sided, plate-like growths

Pavona maldivensis - strikingly plocoid, widely separated corallites; raised septa around calice; smaller colonies can be entirely laminar, but usually columns with bulbs at the tips and small blades (“Mohawks”)

Pavona duerdeni - grey, columnar-massive species that tends to form wide, parallel-

sided, erect, plate-like columns (“Mohawks”); septocostae alternate in height

Pavona clavus - columnar growth form with rounded, often distally widened (clavate) columns; septocostae all of same height

Pavona minuta - colonies massive, divided into parallel irregular ridges or hillocks;

corallites especially small (< 1 mm diameter), giving the colonies a smooth appearance

Pavona diffluens - colonies massive, forming lobed, cylindrical, kidney-shaped

processes; most corallites 2 - 3 mm diameter; septocostae conspicuously

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alternating in thickness and height Pavona - massive

Pavona venosa - sharp walls separate adjacent corallites Gardineroseris

Honeycombed massive coral

Gardineroseris planulata - sharp walls in a cerioid massive colony; numerous and densely packed septa

Leptoseris

unifacial laminar to foliaceous growth form; usually oval to round calices; widely separated by coenosteum; often a larger primary calice in center of colony; coenosteum can have ornaments, but most often do not; often found under overhangs and in other shaded areas

Leptoseris incrustans - surface is covered with irregular swellings or knobs

Leptoseris mycetoseroides - corallites are crowded between irregular heavy folds or

ridges Pachyseris

Parallel, closely spaced coenosteal ridges

Pachyseris speciosa - thin, often whorly plates, with tidy concentric coenosteal ridges

Pachyseris rugosa - irregular columns and upright plates Siderastreidae

Frosty/fuzzy septa; petaloid septa are common Coscinaraea

Corallites are in short valleys or are irregularly scattered and shallow; corallite walls are indistinct; septocostae are fused in distinctive patterns and have finely serrated to heavily granulated margins; distinguished from Psammocora by the larger corallites

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Coscinaraea columna - platy to massive colonies, often with a few large columns;

calices are often in a series and separated by narrow flat-topped ridges bearing a parallel series of granules on their edges; this paired line of granules is distinctive of this species

Psammocora

Poorly defined calices; corallites are very small and shallow, sometimes in shallow valleys; petaloid septa are common, both around and away from calice centers

Psammocora contigua - can form tall flattened branches or have a contorted frondose

growth form

Psammocora haimeana - primary septocostae are petaloid but not exsert; corallites are situated at the bottom of shallow depressions or short valleys

Psammocora neirstraszi - colonies are massive and are primarily characterized by highly

meandering valleys with steep walls; corallites distributed largely independently of the valleys

Psammocora superficiales - colonies are thick plates with low irregular ridges and small

shallow corallites which are irregularly distributed Fungiidae

Generally free-living as adults Fungia

All free-living as adults. Moved by waves so generally found below zone of wave action. Juveniles go through the attached stalk stage. Asexually produced anthocauli from dying, partially buried, or damaged adult tissue; sexually produced via planulae. Vase-shaped polyp to stalked disc. Septa from inside to top of disk and costae from outside to bottom.

Fungia (Pleuractis) scutaria - corals can be elongate or peanut-shaped; can have thicker

skeleton and be found wedged in high wave energy zone; primary septa at regular intervals from mouth to perimeter; large projecting septa; many scutes; septal teeth fine

Fungia (Danafungia) danai - corals circular or nearly so; septal teeth very prominant

and large, each with a thickened rib, costal spines elongate with major differences in size between high and low orders; jndersurface with pits between costae; costae

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compact; spines usually branching

Fungia (Fungia) fungites - corals circular or nearly so; septal teeth triangular; costal spines tall, smooth, conical

Fungia (Verrillofungia) repanda - corals circular or nearly so; septal teeth fine with

parallel ridges; costal spines usually granular; orders not markedly different; septal teeth triangular; septal teeth and costal spines clearly visible; undersurface with pits

Fungia (Verrillofungia) coccina - corals circular or nearly so; septal teeth fine with

parallel ridges; costal spines usually granular; orders not markedly different; septal teeth triangular; septal teeth minute; undersurface mostly unpitted; costal spines small

Fungia (Ctenactis) simplex (= Herpetoglossa simplex) - elongate with an axial furrow

almost to the coral end; several mouths in the axial furrow

Herpetolitha limax - long groove down the center; several mouths in the groove; can be up to 1 m long

Halomitra pileus - dome or bell-shaped; corallites widely spaced

Sandolitha robusta - dome-shaped; corallites are compacted

Suborder Poritiina Poritidae

The septal structures of the mound-shaped species of Porites must be examined under a dissecting microscope or magnifying glass for the area to be studied at the beginning of a study. Most Porites have small cerioid calices. The plocoid species are distinguished from Montipora by the well developed septa. Porites are characterized by 12 septa.

Porites lutea - touch first, then look for 5 pali; well developed pali and slightly smaller

calices

Porites lobata - smooth rolling, often blue, 8 pali present, columella present; only slightly developed pali and slightly larger calices; ventral triplet fused

Porites australiensis - large fist-knuckles, always regular sized knuckles, often brown; 8

pali present, pali taller than in Porites lobata, columella present; ventral triplet set of septa free

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Porites murrayensis - irregular small knuckles, 4 or 5 pali present, columella absent

Porites stephensoni - small group of lumps on the intertidal; 8 pali present

Porites cylindrica (= Porites andrewsi) - fingers

Porites lichen - sharp walls or ridges; often with red polyps

Porites sp. 2 - like Porites lichen, but always as small nubbins, less sharp walls, usually

light green

Porites annae - large, widely spaced polyps; coenenchyme in between calices; grey-green

Porites vaughani - like Montipora turgescens, but with septa and pali, always encrusting and with smooth coenenchyme, reminds of playdough with scattered corallites

Porites (Synaraea) rus - smaller calices, often in bunches, separated with coenenchyme

in between

Porites (Synaraea) horizontalata - bigger polyps than P.(S.) rus, deeper pits for polyps to be in, more widely spaced polyps

Stylaraea punctata

Tiny fingernail-sized colonies on reef flat rubble; septa are short, in two cycles, do not fuse Alveopora

Large, trumpet-shaped polyps, exposed and extended by day; 12 tentacles and septa Goniopora

Large, trumpet-shaped polyps, exposed and extended by day; 24 tentacles and septa

Goniopora columna - Colonies forming columns or branches or submassive

Goniopora somaliensis - Colonies flat, plate-like or encrusting

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Oculinidae

Greatly projecting, spiky, septa Galaxea

Long, branching, tubular corallites; sharp and exsert septa like spikes

Galaxea fascicularis - colonies not branching; corallites with sharp exsert , smooth-margined septa

Pectiniidae

Laminar, explanate or foliaceous growth forms, often with wide expanses of coenosteum separating calices

Echinophyllia

Coenosteum and corallites coated with knob-like or bead-like ornaments

Echinophyllia aspera - most corallites over 8 mm diameter Mycedium

Stongly outward inclined corallites and absence of alveoli Mycedium elephantotus - thin, laminar, often bowl-chaped colonies with encrusting

centers; corallites are inclined towards the growing margins Oxypora

Thin foliaceous colonies attached in the center; alveoli perforate the corallum (which distinguish this genus from Echinophyllia)

Oxypora lacera - thin laminar colonies with encrusting center; corallites are elliptical and

are not inclined towards colony periphery Mussidae

Large jagged septal dentation, large calices, fleshy polyps Acanthastrea

Plocoid; thick fleshy polyps; encrusting to submassive, generally more encrusting 19

Acanthastrea echinata - corallites are cerioid or subplocoid, neatly circular and unifrom calices, with thick walls; when retracted, polyps have thick concentric folds; reminiscent of Favites, but with mussid teeth and fleshy polyps

Symphyllia

Meandroid; massive colonies with very fleshy polyps

Symphyllia recta - valleys are 12 - 15 mm in diameter and sinuous; colonies dome-shaped

Symphyllia valenciennesii - colonies flat; valleys radiate from a central area and have steep sides and flat floors; septa are especially thick with very large teeth

Lobophyllia

Phaceloid; in life can be confused with Symphyllia because of fleshy polyps

Lobophyllia hemprichii - meandroid and submeandroid tendancies; larger calices; large hemispherical colonies often > 1 m diameter

Lobophyllia corymbosa - smaller polyps than L. hemprichii with mono- to tricentric

calices Meandrinidae

[“Brain corals” of the Atlantic] Merulinidae

Poorly defined calices; valleys obscured because of fanwise spreading Merulina

Valleys form radiating pattern away from colony center; septocostae are obvious

Merulina ampliata - thin encrusting plate commonly projecting at the periphery with angular subramose branches arising from the center

Merulina vaughani - valleys separated by ridge-like walls; less heavily calcified than Merulina ampliata

Paraclavarina 20

Branching, with valleys and septocostae resembling those of Merulina

Paraclavarina triangularis - pointed branches triangular in cross-section

Hydnophora

Beautifully sculptured conical hydnophores cover the colony surface

Hydnophora microconos - colonies are massive, rounded, with hydnophores 2 - 3 mm in diameter

Hydnophora exesa - colonies massive, encrusting, or subarborescent, with much of the

variation found in one colony; hydnophores 5 - 8 mm in diameter

Hydnophora rigida - colonies arborescent, without encrusting bases Trachyphylliidae

[Single genus Trachyphyllia] Faviidae

20 genera in the Indo-Pacific; generally massive; medium to very large calices Subfamily FAVIINAE

Intratentacular budding Caulastrea

Phaceloid growth form; corallites about 1 cm in diameter; uniform structure

Caulastrea furcata - brown or green with green oral disks; pale radiating stripes on upper corallite wall from underlying septa

Favia

Differs from Favites in generally being plocoid rather than cerioid and in having equal (figure 8-shaped) rather than unequal intratentacular budding; far back as Cretaceous

Tiny calices (< 6 mm)

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Favia stelligera - tidy little calices 2 - 4 mm diameter; always light brown; columns

Middle-sized calices (6 - 12 mm)

Favia rotumana - corallites very crowded, irregular in shape, may have up to three centers; irregular, jagged, septa; middle-sized (about 1 cm); deep, open calices, no paliform lobes

Favia matthaii - corallites with coenosteum space between calices (usually), irregular in

shape; irregular, jagged, septa; most septae large; middle-sized (about 1 cm); deep, open calices, conspicuous paliform crown

Favia speciosa - corallites circular, no space between them, septa are fine and regularly

spaced Favia helianthoides - flat very widely spaced calices; radiating costae on coenenchyme,

smooth and shiny; often yellow

Favia pallida - dark polyp centers; soap dish; septa widely spaced and irregular; poorly developed paliform lobes

Large calices (> 12 mm)

Favia favus - calices 12 - 20 mm in diameter; conical calices; soap dish Favites

Differs from Favia in generally being cerioid rather than plocoid and in having unequal intratentacular budding

Favites pentagona - tiny little thin-walled calices,; paliform lobes; usually < 6 mm

diameter; colorful, often brown or red with green central disk

Favites abdita - cerioid; no paliform lobes; moderate sized (7-12 mm); usually brown with bright green centers

Favites complanata - pale brown; smooth; with weak paliform lobes

Favites halicora - very massive, either rounded or hillocky; very thick-walled and

rounded calices; usually uniform pale yellow or brown

Favites russelli - thick walled, very jagged and irregular; paliform lobes well developed;

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often plocoid; encrusting massive; often in shaded areas on walls or under overhangs

Favites flexuosa - corallites angular and large (15-20 mm diameter); septa have large

teeth; fleshy polyps; pale colors Goniastrea

Cerioid to meandroid; very conspicuous paliform crown; usually uniform light brown Tiny calices (< 7 mm)

Goniastrea retiformis - small, sharp-walled, uniformly light brown calices; large massive

colonies; often riddled with barnacles

Goniastrea edwardsi - more rounded, less sharp calice walls than G. retiformis

Goniastrea favulus - cerioid to submeandroid; sort of flattened calices; dull brown or green

Larger calices (> 7 mm)

Goniastrea pectinata - paliform crown striking and lovely; monocentric to submeandroid;

variable colony shape, usually < 30 cm, encrusting to submassive

Goniastrea australiensis - more meandroid and less sharply defined calices; told from Platygyra by well developed paliform lobes and columellae Platygyra

Generally meandroid (“brain corals”); sizes of calices similar among species (4 - 7 mm

wide and 1 - 4 mm thick); species are interfertile and no genetic features found to differentiate them, so there is some suspicion as to there being one species

Platygyra daedalea - long meandering valleys; often brightly colored with brown walls

and grey or green valleys; ragged appearance

Playgyra lamellina - like P. daedalea except for P. lamellina having neat rounded calices which gives a smooth appearance

Platygyra pini - tend to be monocentric or only short meanders; thick walls

Leptoria

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Very neat and tidy and uniform; sometimes the mazes can be complex; from Cretaceous

Leptoria phrygia - highly meandroid and very uniform; columellae are wall-like with a lobed upper margin and do not for centers; septa are uniformly spaced and of equal size

Oulophyllia

Large valleys (9 - 20 mm wide) and ragged widely spaced septae and acute thin walls

Oulophyllia crispa - Valleys are broad (up to 20 mm) and V-shaped; ragged septae are thin and uniformly slope to the columellae which usually form well-defined centers

Subfamily MONTASTREINAE

Extratentacular budding Montastraea

Corallites monocentric and plocoid with extratentacular budding

Montastraea curta - very tidy looking; calices circular and small (2.5 - 7.5 mm); long and short septa alternate

Montastraea annuligera - same as M. curta but septa in three cycles with the septa in the

primary cycle well developed Plesiastrea

Paliform crown made of true pali rather than paliform lobes

Pleasiastrea versipora - Paliform lobes form a neat circle around columellae; more tidy and separated calices with stricking paliform crowns

Diploastrea

Very large sized colonies, large calices, generally grey-green; seldom grazed by fish or crown-of-thorns starfish, seldom bored; species from Cretaceous

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Diploastrea heliopora - recognizable from a distance, large dome-shaped colonies with

plocoid corolites; subtidal Leptastrea

Very flat encrusting colonies with tiny calices

Leptastrea purpurea - Small (< 25 cm), thin, encrusting colonies; light brown calices with cream coenenchyme; unequal-sized calices; gradual slope to columella; survives in shallow stressful environments

Leptastrea transversa - Often large (> 1 m) submassive colonies; grey calices with darker

brown coenenchyme; equal-sized calices; steep slope to columella Cyphastrea

Small, plocoid corallites separated by wide spinulose coenosteum; calices < 3 mm diameter

Cyphastrea microphthalma - 10 primary septa

Cyphastrea serailia - Costae do not alternate strongly; 12 primary septa Echinopora

Variable forms of colonies, can be encrusting, massive, plates, whorls, or tubes. Corallites can up to 5 mm in diameter with exsert and irregular septa. Costae restricted to the corallite wall. Coenenchyme is usually granulated.

Echinopora lamellosa - Thin laminae forming whorls, tiers or tubes. Corallites thin-

walled with calices 2.4 - 4.0 mm.

Echinopora hirsutissima - Encrusting or columnar. Corallites large and thick walled, spread apart more than in E. lamellosa. Thicker skeleton than other Echinopora.

Suborder Caryophylliina Caryophylliidae Subfamily EUSMILINAE

Spectacular, large, fleshy polyps that resemble anemones; light skeletons; no or poorly

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developed septal dentations Euphyllia

Polyps extended day and night with large fleshy tentacles

Euphyllia glabrescens - all you can see are the large tubular tentacles with cream, green or white tips

Suborder Dendrophylliina Dendrophylliidae Tubastraea aurea - bright orange cup-coral Turbinaria

Unifacial laminae, often forming tiers, but mostly they are horizontal

Turbinaria reniformis - usually with polyps and distinct margins yellow

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