Stylophora danae, Scheer & Pillai, 1983

Licuanan, Wilfredo Y. & Capili, Emmi B., 2004, New Records Of Stony Corals From The Philippines Previously Known From Peripheral Areas Of The Indo-Pacific, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (2), pp. 285-288 : 286-287

Stylophora danae Milne Edwards & Haime

( Fig. 3)

Stylophora danae Scheer & Pillai, 1983: 23 . Nemenzo, 1964: 205- 206, Plate IV,2;1986: 14-15, Fig. 8; Veron, 2000 Vol 2: 63.

Material examined. – Three samples. First sample (19.2 cm long by 15 cm wide by 7.5 cm tall) (P1L01121), Borongan, Eastern

Samar (11.63081 N, 125.49317 E, Depth: 12 m), coll. Wilfredo Y. Licuanan, 1 Dec.2001; Second sample (10.5 cm long by 10 cm wide by 7 cm tall) (P1L01388), Dapa , Surigao del Norte (9.69717

N, 126.08331 E, Depth: 9 m), coll. Wilfredo Y. Licuanan, 30 Apr.2003; Third sample (18 cm long by 22.5 cm wide by 9.5 cm tall) (P1L01461), Tandag , Surigao del Sur (9.11592 N, 126.22297

E, Depth: 11 m), coll. Wilfredo Y. Licuanan, 8 May.2003.

Description. – Corallum (P1L01121) is composed of flattened, prostrate branches that are wider and flatter at the tips than at the base, with a tendency to form tiers. Flattened branches up to 10 cm in length with short, vertical, blunt branchlets of up to 2.5 cm in height. Corallite sizes of 0.8 mm to 0.9 mm with one cycle of septa and a styliform columella. Thecal rim is raised on one side forming a somewhat indistinct hood extended by flattened, radiallyarranged spines. Hood orientation may vary from corallite to corallite regardless of position along the branch. Intercolumellar distances range from 1-2 mm on the branches with corallites becoming sparser at the corallum base. Porous coenosteum is covered by shorter, unbranched spines that have a tendency to form rows.

The prostrate branches and the limited development of hoods (as described by Scheer & Pillai, 1983) that face different directions (as described by Veron, 2000) distinguish this species from other Stylophora especially S. pistillata Esper, 1797 . The latter may have blunt ended branches with limited development of hoods and similar coenosteum, but will sometimes have two cycles of septa (Veron, 2000).