Acropora cerealis
©Andy Lewis: Radial corallites are evenly sized and distributed, neatly arranged and just touching on branches, tubular appressed to nariform with elongate openings. The outer wall of the corallite is often extended upward, resulting in a corallite and calice opening above the perpendicular to the branch.
©Andy Lewis: at Watson's Bay. 8/7/17.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Class
Hexacorallia
Order
Scleractinia
Family
Acroporidae
Genus
Acropora
Species
Acropora cerealis
Status
least concern
Distinguishing features
Forms caespitose to corymbose colonies which may tend to thick, side-attached plates. Up to 0.5m diameter. Branches may interlock in 3 dimensions. Axial corallites are tubular. Radial corallites are evenly sized and distributed, neatly arranged and just touching on branches, tubular appressed to nariform with elongate openings. The outer wall of the corallite is often extended upward, resulting in a corallite and calice opening above the perpendicular to the branch. Distinguish from A. nasuta which has more tightly-packed radial corallites with tubular to dimidiate nariform openings, often in neat rows and orientated perpendicular to the branch axis. Colonies of A. nasuta tend to have longer branches with little interlocking.
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Web resources
References
- Babcock, R.C., G.D. Bull, P.L. Harrison, A.J. Heyward, J.K. Oliver, C.C. Wallace and B.L. Willis (1986). Synchronous spawnings of 105 scleractinian coral species on the Great Barrier Reef, Marine Biology, 90: 379-394. LIRS catalog number 300.
- Cumming, R.L. (1996). The corallivorous gastropods Drupella cornus, D. fragum and D. rugosa: ecology and impact on coral communities at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University, Townsville. LIRS catalog number 473.
- Cumming, R.L. (2009). Case study: impact of Drupella spp. on reef-building corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Research Publication, 97: 1-51. LIRS catalog number 1628.
- View all references