Acropora downingi Wallace, 1999

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 : 58

Acropora downingi Wallace, 1999

( Fig. 27 )

Acropora downingi Wallace, 1999: 204 , pl. 42.

Type locality. Kubbar Island, Kuwait.

MTQ Holdings. HOLOTYPE G55049, PARATYPES G55064–69, G55221–22 Kuwait; Red Sea: G58872–73, G62984 Saudi Arabia; G51945–46, G55038–45 Yemen; Persian Gulf: G54706–07, G55035–37, G55046–48, G55071, G55204–20, G58669–76 Saudi Arabia; Oman: G40957–58, G55070; Socotra: G56949, G56959; Seychelles: G59686–91.

Species group: robusta .

Description. Colony outline: determinate, predominantly arborescent-table. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length: 2 5–50 mm; diameter: 5.0–9.9 mm, axial-dominated, terete; radial crowding: some touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: two synapticular rings; porous; outer diameter 1.6–2.5 mm; inner diameter 0.7–1.0 mm; primary septa to 2/3 R. Radial corallites: small; two synapticular rings; two sizes; inner wall developed; shape: tubular; openings: dimidiate; primary septa to ¼ R. Coenosteum: different on and between radials: between radials: reticulate, on radials: costate; spinule shape: single point.

Taxonomic note. This species was recorded in the type locality as Acropora clathrata in Carpenter et al. (1997) , prior to its recognition as a new species.

Further literature. Veron (2 0 0 0), Pichon et al. (2010).

Figures

FIG. 27. Acropora downingi, G59688, St Ann I., Seychelles, 2006 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.