Acropora multiacuta Nemenzo, 1967

van der Meij, Sancia E. T. & Visser, Rémon R., 2011, The Acropora Humilis Group (Scleractinia) Of The Snellius Expedition (1929 - 30), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 59 (1), pp. 9-17 : 13

Acropora multiacuta Nemenzo, 1967

( Fig. 3c–e )

Acropora multi-acuta Nemenzo, 1967: 133-134 , pl. 39 figs 1–3.

Acropora multiacuta – Nemenzo, 1981: 156, fig. 166; Nemenzo, 1986: 116, fig. 117; Veron and Wallace, 1985: 184; Veron, 1986: 141; Best et al., 1989: 109; Veron, 2000: 332.

Acropora (Acropora) multiacuta – Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998: 220; Wallace, 1999: 128–129.

Material examined. – Indonesia, Tanahjampea, N of Flores ( RMNH Coel.39600–39603); Togian Islands, N Sulawesi, coll. J. H. F. Umbgrove ( RMNH Coel.39903–39906).

Short description. – Colony caespitose-corymbose to digitate; branches slightly tapering, 7–14 mm in diameter and up to 65 mm long, incipient branchlets at base of branches. Axial corallite very prominent, outer diameter 3.0–7.0 mm; radial corallites at base of branch, immersed corallites visible, tubular to downwards nariform with round openings.

Biogeography. – Only a few records are known from the central Indo-Pacific (Veron and Wallace, 1984; Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998; Wallace, 1999; Fenner, 2002, 2003). Mactan Isl. (Cebu, Philippines) is the type locality from where the species was recorded as rare ( Nemenzo, 1986). It is recorded as extremely rare by Wallace and Wolstenholme (1998). In the present study, four specimens were identified as A. multiacuta . All specimens are very similar in appearance, but represent separate colonies collected at Tanahjampea. This new locality for A. multiacuta is in accordance with the previously known distribution in Indonesia ( Wallace, 1999; Table 2). The coral collections furthermore contain four specimens of A. multiacuta , collected by Dr Umbgrove, from the Togian Islands.

Figures

Fig. 3a-j. A. digitifera: a, complete specimen, b, branch (both RMNH Coel.39564); A. multiacuta: c, complete specimen (RMNH Coel.39601), d, close-up (RMNH Coel.39904), e, branch (RMNH Coel.39603); A. retusa: f, complete specimen (RMNH Coel.39607), g, branch (RMNH Coel.39604); A. fastigata: h, branch (RMNH Coel.39566), i-j, close-ups (both RMNH Coel.39567). Scale bars 2 cm: left scale bar for a, c-d, f, h; right scale bar for b, e, g, i-j.