Acropora, Oken, 1815

Sola, Erwan, Silva, Isabel Marques da & Glassom, David, 2015, An annotated and illustrated checklist of species of the coral genus Acropora (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) from Vamizi Island, Mozambique, African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 807-807 : 821-822

Acropora cf. florida (Dana, 1846)

Fig. 11

Colony growth form: Hispidose branching pattern, main branches are long and terete. Axial corallites: Outer diameter 2.3–2.7 mm; inner diameter 0.9–1.1 mm; short, but conspicuous and slightly dome-shaped; blade-like primary septa occupy most of calyx radius and second cycle septa are visible as points or rows of short spines.

Radial corallites: Similar in size and shape, they are appressed tubular with round or slightly dimidiate opening, may be nariform towards branch tip; one cycle of dentate septa is present.

Coenosteum: Costate on radial corallites and coarse reticulate with some projecting spinules in between.

Remarks: The general appearance of this specimen may remind that of A. austera, but the latter usually has more eXsert aXial corallites and a reticulate coenosteum. Here, all characters seem to fit Wallace (1999) A. florida better, especially the characteristics of the coenosteum on and between corallites. This identification may require further examination.

Figures

Fig. 11. Acropora cf. florida. Specimen number: VAM65. (A) live colony; (B) branch fragment; (C) axial corallite; (D) coenosteum between corallites.