Tubastrea faulkneri Wells, 1982

Lam, Katherine, Morton, Brian & Hodgson, Paul, 2008, Ahermatypic corals (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae, Oculinidae and Rhizangiidae) recorded from submarine caves in Hong Kong, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 729-747 : 736-737

Tubastrea faulkneri Wells, 1982

( Figure 2C–D )

Tubastrea faulkneri Wells, 1982:216 , Plate 3, Figs 1–3

Tubastrea faulkneri Wells, 1983:244 , Plate 19, Figs 1–4 ; Cairns 1991:27–28, Plate 12j

Description

Growth form is similar to that of Tubastrea coccinea . Encrusting and slightly massive corallum. Circular to slight elliptical corallites are closely spaced. Budding is extratentacular from the intercorallite coenosteum. Corallites are short and raised 3–5 mm above the coenosteum. Colony size ranges from 40 mm to 80 mm in length and width and 15–20 mm in height. Diameter of mature corallite ranges from 5.2–7.8 mm. Septal order is hexameral and in four cycles. Septal size, in a descending order, is S 1.S 2.S 4.S 3. Pairs of S 4 join S 3 in large corallites. Columella is deep and spongy. Living colonies are orange with yellow tentacles.

Type locality

Great Reef, Bailechesengel Island , Palau .

Distribution

Galápagos Islands, Palau, Banda, Amboina, The Philippines ( Cairns 1991) and Steep Island Cave, Hong Kong (this study).

Figures

Figure 1. Balanophyllia sp. and Dendrophyllia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter56.5 mm) and side view of four solitary corallites of B. eguchii (maximum height59.02 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter514.9 mm) and top view of a B. ponderosa colony (height531.3 mm); E–G, calicular (longer diameter57.8 mm) and side views of two colonies of D. arbuscula (colony size of F and G535.1 mm and 40.1 mm, respectively); H–I, top and side views of a small D. arbuscula colony (height518.2); J–L, calicular (longer diameter511.7 mm) and top views of two colonies of D. ehrenbergiana (height of K and L513 mm and 19.8 mm, respectively); M–N, calicular (longer diameter513.4 mm) and side view of a colony of D. coccinea (height527 mm); O–P, calicular (longer diameter58 mm) and side view of colony of D. compressa (height533.1 mm); Q–R, calicular (longer diameter59.9 mm) and four solitary corallites of D. gracilis (maximum height521.2 mm).

Figure 2. Tubastrea sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter58.2 mm) and top view of a colony of T. coccinea (length×width598.7 mm×34.6 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter56.37 mm) and top view of a colony of T. faulkneri (length×width568.9 mm×21.56 mm); E–J, calicular and side views of colonies of T. diaphana (height of F533 mm, height of G and H518.5 mm, longer calicular diameter and height of I and J59.9 and 21.5 mm, respectively); K–L, calicular (longer diameter59.5 mm) and top view of a colony of T. sibogae (height531.3 mm); M–O, calicular (longer diameter58.3 mm), top and side view of a colony of T. turbinata (height522.7 mm).

Figure 3. Tubastrea diaphana collected from Conic Island cave being grazed by three individuals of Aeolidiella sp. The white area of the skeleton is the grazed area. One Aeolidiella is on the top of the colony, the second is on the bottom and the third one was dislodged during collection.

Figure 4. Cyathelia sp., Culicia sp. and Oulangia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter55.1 mm) and colony of Cyathelia axillaris (height535.85 mm); C, calicular of Culicia japonica (longer diameter55.9 mm); D, caliculars of Culicia rubeola (colony size515.3 mm×14 mm) and E, calicular of Oulangia stokesiana (longer diameter59 mm).