Porites rus
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