species: Acropora cerealis in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Lizard Island area: all known taxa > Animalia > Cnidaria > Anthozoa > Hexacorallia > Scleractinia > Acroporidae > Acropora > Acropora cerealis (gallery)
Acropora cerealis


©Andy Lewis: Acropora cerealis at Watson's Bay 1/7/17.

©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.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hexacorallia
Order Scleractinia
Family Acroporidae
Genus Acropora
Species Acropora cerealis
Status least concern

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Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island area: all known taxa

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