Acropora subulata (Dana, 1846)

Wallace, Carden C., Done, Barbara J. & Muir, Paul R., 2012, Revision and catalogue of worldwide staghorn corals Acropora and Isopora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) in the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Memoirs of the Queensland Museu Nature 57, pp. 1-258 : 204

Acropora subulata (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 100 )

Madrepora subulata Dana, 1846: 448 , pl. 32 fig. 3.

Madrepora frondosa Brook, 1893: 114, pl. 34 fig. E.

Acropora lamarcki Veron 2000 , vol. 1: 376; 2002: 59.

Type locality. Fiji (lectotype NMNH-SI).

MTQ Holdings. Red Sea: G55262, G57768, G57778 Egypt; G54942–44 Sudan; G54756–60 Yemen; Socotra: G56957, G57406, G57412; Kenya: G55855 Tanzania HOLOTYPE of A. lamarcki ; G54928, G54937; Mayotte: G63262–65, G63360–61, G63417; Seychelles: G59450, G59480, G59523–24, G59533, G59543; Mauritius: G51875, G54896–97, G54939; Maldives: G59752–54, G59921, G60285, G60366; Thailand: G55900–03, G59337; Malaysia: G57681, G57687 mainland and islands; G41139, G41145, G53891 Sabah; Indonesia: G54701–03 Sumatra; G49982 Bali; G49976–81, G50024–25, G50167 Alor; G48156 Lombok; G54439 Tukangbesi Islands; G50945 Taka’bonerate; G50061, G50729 Seribu Is; G50779 Ambon; G49970–73 Flores; G49987–91 Kalimantan; G49974, G49975 Semau; G35513, G35518, G35820, G48153–55, G49968–69, G49983–86, G50021–23, G50094, G50612, G54206, G55452 Sulawesi; G54208, G54217–19 Molucca Sea; G52427–28, G54209–16 Halmahera; G49963–67, G50020, G53762 Banda Sea; G61058, G61063, G61250 Irian Jaya; Australia: G36786, G39760–61, G60629 West; G27068, G28302–17, G29032, G29034–35, G29066, G29069–73, G32212–13, G32460, G48315, G48489, G57518, G57531, G57598, G57987, G60566, G63931 Great Barrier Reef; G29030, G62803, G63237 South-East; G29068, G33501 Coral Sea; South China Sea: G37621, G52290, G52353–54; Japan: G62300; Taiwan: G45896, G46530; Philippines: G32826, G41712; Palau: G61862; Papua New Guinea: G35825, G53416, G53420, G53558–59, G53597, G55084; Micronesia: G62629, G62649 Pohnpei; G62744 Kosrae; Solomon Is.: G52581–82; New Caledonia: G34963, G61023, G61028; Chesterfield Atoll: G29067; Vanuatu: G59041; Marshall Is.: G33127, G56155; Kiribati: G54978, G58795; Fiji: G40925; Cook Is.: G55544.

Species group: latistella.

Description. Colony outline: determinate, predominantly corymbose. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length: 50–100 mm; diameter: 2.5–4.9 mm, 50/50 axial/radial, terete; radial

crowding: some touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: two synapticular rings; porous; outer diameter 1.2–1.9 mm; inner diameter 0.8–1.2 mm; primary septa to ¾ R. Radial corallites: small; two synapticular rings; one size or graded; inner wall not developed; shape: dimidiate/lipped; openings: elongate lip; primary septa to 1/3 R. Coenosteum: different on and between radials: between radials: reticulate, on radials: reticulo-costate; spinule shape: single point.

Taxonomic note. Acropora lamarcki Veron, 2000 is placed in synonymy with A. subulata following examination of specimens at MTQ that have been compared with the A. subulata type, i.e. G54756 from Yemen, G46530 from Taiwan and G56155 from Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands.

Of Acropora lamarcki, Veron (2000, 2002) states: ‘This is a new name for what may have been Acropora corymbosa (Lamarck, 1816)’. If this were true, then A. corymbosa would have to be the senior available name for A. lamarcki , and thus also the senior name for A. subulata (Dana, 1846) under the present subjective synonymy. However, A. corymbosa is more frequently linked with A. cytherea Dana, 1846 (Wallace 1978: 288) . As a specimen thought to be the type of A. corymbosa has been sighted in the collection of the MNHN by both Brook (189 3) and Wells (cited in Wallace 1978), it seems advisable, at this time, to exercise caution in resurrecting Acropora corymbosa as the available name of either of the aforementioned species without a thorough attempt to locate Lamarck’s type specimen and be sure of its proper identity.

Further literature: Nishihira & Veron (1995), Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Dai & Horng (2009), Turak & DeVantier (2011).

Figures

FIG. 100. Acropora subulata, G63262, Mayotte, East Indian Ocean, 2010 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.