Acroporidae

Verrill, 1902

Diagnosis

Colonial, massive or ramose colonies by extratentacular budding; corallites small, synapticulothecate, pseudocostate, slightly differentiated from coenosteum. Septa non-exsert, in two cycles, formed by simple spiniform trabeculae projecting inward and upward from vertical mural trabeculae, commonly fusing to form laminae. Columella absent or trabecular and weak. Dissepiments thin and tabular when developed. Coenosteum extensive, light reticulate, flaky, generally spinose or striate on surface. Polyps hermaphrodite with internal or external fertilization followed by internal or external larval development respectively.

Contains

• Distichocyathus Brook, 1893 p. 192
• Montipora Blainville, 1830
• ?Etalloniopsis Lebanidze, 1987, p. 589
• Dendracis Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
• Acropora Oken, 1815 p. 66
• Isopora Studer, 1878, p. 262

This page has been in preparation since 02-Oct-2009 17:15

This version was contributed by Ken Johnson on 02-Oct-2009 17:15.

Page authors are: Carden Wallace. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.

The editor is: Ann Budd