species: Porites rus in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Porites rus


©Andy Lewis: A brown colony of Porites rus at Watson's Bay, Lizard Island

©Andy Lewis: A macro image of Porites rus showing the typical structure of corallites

©Andy Lewis: Macro image of Porites rus and Porites cylindrica at top right
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hexacorallia
Order Scleractinia
Family Poritidae
Genus Porites
Species Porites rus

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

A coral that forms sub-massive colonies comprised of short, irregular branches. It can reach large sizes in excess of 5m. Corallites are small and embedded. Colour is typically light brown or blue-grey.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Protected lagoons and back reef margins.

Can be found in most habitats around Lizard Island.

Behaviour

Porites rus is common in Watsons Bay at Lizard Island, and forms large mono-specific stands in many areas. It is resistant to feeding by Crown of Thorns Starfish and so has survived the 1990's outbreak with little loss.

This species is a gonochoric broadcast spawner.

Web resources

References

  • Baird, A.H., J.R. Guest and B.L. Willis (2009). Systematic and biogeographical patterns in the reproductive biology of scleractinian corals, Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 40: 551-571.
  • Idjadi, J.A. and R.H. Karlson (2007). Spatial arrangement of competitors influences coexistence of reef-building corals, Ecology, 88(10): 2449-2454.
  • Pratchett, M.S. (2007). Feeding preferences of Acanthaster planci (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) under controlled conditions of food availabliliy, Pacific Science, 61: 113-120. LIRS catalog number 985.
  • View all references