species: Pocillopora acuta in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Lizard Island area: all known taxa > Animalia > Cnidaria > Anthozoa > Hexacorallia > Scleractinia > Pocilloporidae > Pocillopora > Pocillopora acuta (gallery)
Pocillopora acuta


©Jessica Bellworthy: Pocillopora acuta at First Beach, Lizard Island. Identified by Jessica Bellworthy and confirmed by Sebastian Schmidt-Roach.

©Jessica Bellworthy: Pocillopora acuta at the lagoon entrance bommie, Lizard Island. Identified by Jessica Bellworthy and confirmed by Sebastian Schmidt-Roach.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hexacorallia
Order Scleractinia
Family Pocilloporidae
Genus Pocillopora
Species Pocillopora acuta

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Lizard Island area: all known taxa
Lizard Island Field Guide

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

Similar to Pocillopora damicornis but with darker pigmentation around the oral opening of the polyps and colonies are generally paler. Branch tips are often more pointed but that varies according to habitat. Sebastian Schmidt-Roach (5 Apr 2020) notes, "I admit that it is very tricky to tell it apart from P. damicornis. However, they show distinct morphs when they are found just next to each other."

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Schmidt-Roach, S., K.J. Miller, P. Lundgren and N. Andreakis (2014). With eyes wide open: a revision of species within and closely related to the Pocillopora damicornis species complex (Scleractinia; Pocilloporidae) using morphology and genetics, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 170: 1-33. LIRS catalog number 1753.