Coral Species ID. Colony surface (bumpy, smooth, ridges)

Transcription

1 Coral Species ID Colony shape (branching, mound, plates, column, crust, etc) Colony surface (bumpy, smooth, ridges) Polyp/Corallite Size (small, big) Polyp/Corallite shape (round/elliptical, irregular, y- shaped, innies vs outies ridge/valley) Polyp color (green, brown, tan, yellow, olive, red)

2 Different Corallite Shapes and Sizes

3 M. White W. Harrigan S. Suleimán Examples of Massive Stony Corals Montastraea faveolata Montastraea cavernosa Diploria strigosa Porites astreoides

4 S. Thornton Montastraea faveolata MFAV Small, round polyps Form very large mounds, plates or crusts (to 4-5 m /12-15 ft)

5 Montastraea faveolata MFAV Surfaces smooth, ridged, or with bumps aligned in vertical rows W. Harrigan M. Weber R. Steneck

6 Montastraea faveolata MFAV Colonies are flattened, massiveplates with smooth surfaces under conditions of low light.

7 Montastrea annularis MANN How similar to M. faveolata Small polyps Smooth surface How different Colonies are subdivided into numerous mounds or columns with live polyps at their summits. Plates at colony bases under low light conditions. (to 3-4 m/9-12 ft)

8 Which is which? M. annularis MANN M. faveolata MFAV

9 Montastrea franksi MFRA How similar to M. faveolata Small polyps and bumps Close-up How different Some polyps in bumps are larger, irregularly shaped, and may lack zooxanthellae. More aggressive spatial competitor. P. Humann

10 Montastrea franksi MFRA How similar to M. faveolata Form mounds, short columns, crusts, and/or plates. How different Bumps are scattered over colony surface. (to 3-4 m/9-12 ft)

11 Montastrea franksi MFRA Flattened, massive plate morphology in low light conditions.

12 Solenastrea bournoni SBOU How similar to M. annularis Small round polyps Mounds How different Lighter colors in life, Walls of some polyps are more distinct ( outies ) Bumpy colony surface (to ~1/2 m/<20 in)

13 Solenastrea hyades SHYA How similar to S. bournoni Light colours Polyps with distinct walls How different Irregular, lobes above an encrusting base (to ~2/3 m/2 ft) Humann (1993).

14 J. Lang Montastrea cavernosa MCAV large, round polyps Close-up

15 Montastrea cavernosa MCAV Mounds, single columns, thick crusts or thick plates. (< 3 m/9 ft) Pink fluoresence sometimes seen underwater is due to a symbiotic cyanobacterium in the polyps. E. Weil

16 Montastrea cavernosa MCAV Colonies can form flattened, massiveplates in low light conditions.

17 Dichocoenia stokesi DSTO How similar to M. cavernosa Distinct polyps Mounds, crusts or plates How different At least some elliptical and Y-shaped polyps (usually <.5 m/18 in)

18 Favia fragum FFRA How similar to D. stokesi Distinct, round-elongated polyps, some are Y-shaped. How different Polyps look more spread out. Smaller colonies (usually <10cm/4 in) P. Humann

19 Palythoa caribaeorum How similar to M. cavernosa and D. stokesi Distinct polyps, some round and others elliptical Cream or light tan colour How different Soft-bodied crusts Very aggressive spatial competitor Close-up Palythoa M. cavernosa P. Humann R. McCall

20 Palythoa caribaeorum Can be an excellent, early bleaching indicator

21 Siderastrea siderea SSID Sunken polyps ( innies ) with thin septa

22 Siderastrea siderea SSID Mounds (to ~ 2 m/6 ft) bleached

23 R. Ginsburg Siderastrea siderea SSID Fluorescent colours in some bleached colonies dead bleached

24 Siderastrea radians SRAD Irregular, sunken pinched polyps with fatter septa Small (to ~1/3 m/12 in)

25 Which is which? S. siderea S. radians

26 Stephanocoenia intersepta SINT Flat polyps which are darker (have more zoox. pigments) than intervening tissues Blush when contracting Mounds or crusts (to <1 m/<3 ft)

27 E. Weil Porites astreoides PAST Yellow, yellow-green or olive (shallow), gray or brown (deep or shade) Small mounds, thick crusts or plates (usually < 1 m/3 ft)

28 Porites astreoides PAST Polyps are narrow but tall and look fuzzy when expanded. Colony surfaces are usually bumpy. Close-up P. Humann

29 Colpophyllia natans CNAT How are they different from other brain corals Has narrow lines along the top, and midway down the sides, of the ridges. Close-up Often bicoloured

30 R. Steneck Colpophyllia natans CNAT Forms largest of brain coral mounds in shallow water (to ~3 m/10 ft)

31 Colpophyllia natans CNAT Forms massive-plates in low light conditions T. Turner

32 Diploria labryinthiformis DLAB How are they different from other brain corals Distinct groove along middle of ridge can be deeper and wider than the valleys. Close-up

33 Diploria labryinthiformis DLAB Mounds in shallow water (to >1 m/4 ft)

34 Diploria strigosa DSTR How are they different from other brain corals No distinct groove along middle of ridge. Mounds or crusts in shallow water. (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

35 Diploria strigosa DSTR Massive-plates in low light conditions Q. Dokken

36 How are they different from other brain corals Narrow ridges Irregular, lumpy crusts in shallow water (to >1 m/4 ft) Diploria clivosa DCLI R. Steneck

37 Meandrina meandrites MMEA Mounds and massive-plates Very aggressive for a stony coral killing P. astreoides (to ~1 m/3 ft) killing P. astreoides

38 Mycetophyllia spp. All species Meandroid Raised polyp centers look like Stars Small mounds, plates or crusts Mycetophyllia aliciae

39 Mycetophyllia lamarckiana MLAM and Mycetophyllia danaana MDAN MDAN Fleshy polyps Mounds, cones, thick plates (to ~ 1/3 m/12 in) MLAM

40 Mycetophyllia aliciae MALI Thick crusts or plates Ridges much reduced in low light conditions (to ~ 1/2 m/20 in.) P. Dustan

41 Mycetophyllia ferox MFER Narrow ridges and valleys Thin crusts or plates (to ~2/3 m/2 ft) A. Budd

42 Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN Very fleshy, wide meandroid polyps Narrow line along top of ridges Small mounds (to ~20 cm/8 in) R. Steneck

43 R. Steneck Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN How different from Mycetophyllia danaana Fleshier polyps No stars around mouths

44 Which is which? M. lamarckiana MLAM Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN

45 Very fleshy polyps Thin line along ridge tops Small mounds (to <20 cm/8 in) How different Isophyllastrea rigida IRIG How similar to Isophyllia sinuosa Very short, constricted valleys usually only have 1-2 polyps

46 Scolymia lacera SLAC How different from Scolymia cubensis Larger, more fleshy polyps Lighter polyp colours More aggressive to other stony corals (to ~15 cm/6 in)

47 Agaricia agaricites AAGA Tiny, reticulate polyps Form plates, crusts, lumps, and keeled colonies Smallest of the agariciids (to ~ 1 m/3 ft) plate lump keels

48 Agaricia lamarcki ALAM How different from A. agaricites Thick, dense plates Distinct polyp mouths (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

49 Leptoseris cucullata LCUC How different from A. agaricites Thin plates, not reticulate Distinct septa; polyp mouths point towards colony margin (to ~ 2 m/6 ft) Can be confused with A. undata (has smaller, straighter ridges; Humann p. 142)

50 Examples of Branching Stony Corals Porites porites Acropora cervicornis Acropora palmata R. McCall R. McCall Fragment easily; colony boundaries may be indistinct

51 Porites porites PPOR Fat, stubby branches with blunt tips R. Steneck

52 Porites porites PPOR (Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide) K. Desai

53 Porites furcata PFUR Thin, long branches with round tips (Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide)

54 Porites divaricata PDIV Thin, widely-spaced branches, many Y-shaped at tip (Clumps to ~1/3 m/1ft wide) R. Steneck

55 Acropora cervicornis ACER Long, thin round branches (contiguous colonies to ~3m/10 ft) R. Steneck

56 Acropora palmata APAL Flattened or thick-rounded branches K. Desai

57 Acropora palmata APAL (Continguous colonies to ~4m/12 ft) R. McCall

58 Acropora prolifera APRO Intermediate in appearance & is a hybrid between A. palmata and A. cervicornis

59 Madracis mirablis MMIR Thin, near-parallel branches with blunt tips Often expanded by day. Close-up M. Vermeij

60 Madracis mirablis MMIR Dense clumps (Can be many meters/10s of ft wide in sheltered habitats)

61 Madracis decactis MDEC Short, stubby knobs or lumpy crusts 10 septa/polyp (to ~15 cm/6 in)

62 Madracis formosa MFOR How different from M. decactis Upright branches With blunt tops 8-10 septa/polyp (to < 2m/6 ft)

63 Eusmilia fastigiata EFAS Round to ovoid, stalked poylps (to ~2/3 m/<3 ft)

64 Mussa angulosa MANG How similar to E. fastigiata Stalked polyps, only alive at tips How different Polyps are fleshy, larger, round, and opaque in colour Septa have large teeth (to <1 m/3 ft)

65 Dendrogyra cylindrus DCYL Polyps usually expanded by day Dense columns, (to >3m/10 ft)

66 Millepora spp. How different from scleractinian stony corals Smooth colony surface has tiny pores with minute, translucent polyps. Millepora alcicornis

67 Millepora complanata MCOM Box-like keels (to ~2/3 m/<3 ft) R. Steneck

68 Millepora alcicornis MALC How different from M. complanata Encrusts substratum and other organisms Small, rounded branches (to ~1/2 m/<20 in) R. Steneck R. Steneck