Acropora, Oken, 1815

Sola, Erwan, Silva, Isabel Marques da & Glassom, David, 2015, An annotated and illustrated checklist of species of the coral genus Acropora (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) from Vamizi Island, Mozambique, African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 807-807 : 834

Acropora nasuta (Dana, 1846)

Fig. 25

Colony growth form: Corymbose with tapering branches seldom anastomosed.

Axial corallites: Outer diameter 2.1–2.7 mm; inner diameter 1.5 mm; short and tubular but conspicuous. Septa are small, but present in two cycles.

Radial corallites: Nariform with oval to dimidiate opening, sometimes slightly laterally flattened; radials are numerous on branch and usually arranged in neat rows; few sub-immersed radial corallites may be present; first cycle septa present with directives possibly very pronounced; secondary septa are mostly absent or just visible as spines. Coenosteum: Costate or arrangement of laterally flattened spinules on radials and reticulate with scattered spinules in between.

Figures

Fig.25.Acropora nasuta.Specimen number:(A, B) VAM51;(C–F) VAM75.(A) livecolony with(B) branch fragment; (C, D) portion of branch showing radial corallites; (E) axial corallite; (F) coenosteum between corallites.