Acropora spicifera (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 : 194

Acropora spicifera (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 95 )

Madrepora spicifera Dana, 1846: 442 , pl. 33 figs 4, 4a–b, 5.

Type locality. Singapore (lectotype NMNH-SI).

MTQ Holdings. Red Sea: G50184; Maldives: G59946, G60262–63, G60280; Thailand: G55994, G59402, G59417, G59429; Malaysia: G57667 mainland and islands; G40030 Sabah; Singapore: G41030, G45885–86; Indonesia: G50152 Sumatra; G59191–92 Java; G46988, G46990–94, G50181–83, G50617 Bali; G50160, G50162–66, G50168 Alor; G53744 Lomblen; G49827–28 Riau; G53745 Tukangbesi Islands; G43820–23 Taka’bonerate; G50732–33 Seribu Is; G50780 Ambon; G50153–56 Flores; G50179, G50180 Kalimantan; G50159 Semau; G48075, G50169–72, G50174, G50176, G50178, G50609–10, G50615, G54313, G55429 Sulawesi; G53738 Molucca Sea; G53739–43, G54133, G54314 Halmahera; G46943–45 Banda Sea; G50157–58, G36042 Irian Jaya; Australia: G47008, G51538, G52447–52, G52663, G60624–25, G61083, G63139, G64392 West; G51269, G58974, G59042 North; South China Sea: G37622–24, G51156, G52153; Japan: G38043, G62852–53, G63128–30; Philippines: G41568; Papua New Guinea: G35826, G53595; Marshall Is.: G33144; Fiji: G40926.

Species group: aspera .

Description. Colony outline: determinate, predominantly corymbose. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length: 2 5–50 mm; diameter: 5.0–9.9 mm, axial-dominated, terete; radial crowding: most touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: three synapticular rings; porous; outer diameter 0.9–2.1 mm; inner diameter 0.5–1.1 mm; primary septa to ½ R. Radial corallites: medium; two synapticular rings; one size or graded; inner wall not developed; shape: dimidiate/lipped; openings: horizontal lip; primary septa to 1/3 R. Coenosteum: different on and between radials: between radials: reticulate, on radials: costate; spinule shape: single point.

Further literature. Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Veron (2000), Turak & DeVantier (2011).

Figures

FIG. 95. Acropora spicifera, G63130, Kushimoto, Japan, 2009 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.