Leptastrea purpurea (Dana, 1846)

Samiei, Jahangir Vajed, Dab, Koosha, Ghezellou, Parviz & Shirvani, Arash, 2013, Some scleractinian corals (Scleractinia: Anthozoa) of Larak Island, Persian Gulf, Zootaxa 3636 (1), pp. 101-143 : 134

Leptastrea purpurea (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 33 )

Material: ZUTC Cnid. 1028, colony fragment, Larak Island, 26° 53' 14.4" N, 56° 23' 43.4" E, Coll. J. Vajed Samiei, November 2010.

Identification guide: Veron (2000)

Notes for local identification: Colonies are encrusting to sub-massive. Polyps are mostly spaced on the colony surface. Tentacles are brownish-green and mostly extended during the day. Corallites are bigger than in L. pruinosa (some corallites with more than 5 mm width).

Abundance: rare.

Depth of occurrence: About 3 m.

Figures

FIGURE 33. Leptastrea purpurea, a, exoskeleton; b, close up of corallites; c, underwater photograph of the colony; d, underwater photograph of polyps.