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Brain Coral
Brain coral is a common name given to various corals in the families Mussidae and Merulinidae, so called due to their generally spheroid shape and grooved surface which resembles a brain. Each head of coral is formed by a colony of genetically identical polyps which secrete a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate; this makes them important coral reef builders like other stony corals in the order Scleractinia. Brain corals are found in shallow warm water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are part of the phylum Cnidaria, in a class called Anthozoa or "flower animals". The lifespan of the largest brain corals is 900 years. Colonies can grow as large as 1.8 m (6 ft) or more in height. Brain corals extend their tentacles to catch food at night. During the day, they use their tentacles for protection by wrapping them over the grooves on their surface. The surface is hard and offers good protection against fish or hurricanes. Branching corals, such as staghorn cor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Favites Abdita
''Favites abdita'', also known as the larger star coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and its range extends from East Africa and the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific Ocean. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "near-threatened". Description ''Favites abdita'' is a massive colonial coral forming rounded irregular mounds. The corallites are in diameter and have thick walls. The septa are straight with well-developed teeth. Various colours occur, ranging from reddish brown to greyish green, and the oral discs are usually green. Distribution ''Favites abdita'' is native to the Indo-Pacific region where it occurs in shallow tropical and subtropical seas. Its range extends from the Red Sea and South Africa to India, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and the Central Pacific island groups. Its depth range is down to about and it is common on rocks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scleractinia
Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyp (zoology), polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a mouth is fringed with tentacles. Although some species are solitary, most are Colony (biology), colonial. The founding polyp settles and starts to secrete calcium carbonate to protect its soft body. Solitary corals can be as much as across but in colonial species the polyps are usually only a few millimetres in diameter. These polyps reproduce asexually by budding, but remain attached to each other, forming a multi-polyp colony of cloning, clones with a common skeleton, which may be up to several metres in diameter or height according to species. The shape and appearance of each coral colony depends not only on the species, but also on its location, depth, the amount of water movement and other factors. Many shallow-water co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diploria
''Diploria'' is a monotypic genus of massive reef building stony corals in the family Mussidae. It is represented by a single species, ''Diploria labyrinthiformis'', commonly known as grooved brain coral and is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It has a familiar, maze-like appearance. Description This species of reef-building coral has a hemispherical, brain-like shape with a brown, yellow, or grey colour. It has characteristic deep, interconnected double-valleys. These polyp-bearing valleys are each separated by grooved ambulacral ridges. There may be a difference in colour between the valleys and the grooves. ''Diploria labyrinthiformis'' can grow upward at a rate of approximately 3.5 millimeters per year, achieving about in diameter. During its planktonic larval stage, the coral has locomotion. After that time, it becomes permanently sessile. This species is a suspension feeder, and survives mainly on zooplankton and bacteria. These are captured by t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Matthai
George Matthai (13 November 1887 – 22 June 1947) was an Indian zoologist who specialized in marine biology, contributing to the systematics of Madreporarian (now Scleractinia) corals. He was a professor of zoology at the Panjab University in Lahore. Life and career He returned to India in 1918 and worked at the department of zoology at the Panjab University, Lahore. He received a ScD from the University of Cambridge in 1929. He succeeded Lt. Col. J. Stephenson in 1919 and his retirement in 1942 was postponed to 1945 due to the war. Matthai married Mary Chandy, daughter of C. Chandy of the Mysore Civil Service and later vice chancellor of Mysore University, in 1925. They had a son, Ariel, and after her death in 1931, Matthai married Rosalinda Hedwig in 1935. Matthai was elected Fellow of the Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diploastrea
''Diploastrea'' is a genus of corals. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ... Diploastreidae. Species The following species are recognized in the genus ''Diploastrea'': * '' Diploastrea heliopora'' (Lamarck, 1816) * †'' Diploastrea polygonalis'' (Martin, 1880) References Scleractinia genera Diploastreidae {{scleractinia-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyphastrea
''Cyphastrea'' is a genus of massive reef building stony corals in the family Merulinidae Merulinidae is a family of reef-building stony corals. Characteristics All the genera in this family are colonial, reef-building corals. Skeletal structures are similar to those of Faviidae but are highly fused, without paliform lobes. The valle ..., commonly known as brain coral. Species The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species: *'' Cyphastrea agassizi'' (Vaughan, 1907) - Agassiz's brain coralFenner, Douglas (2005). ''Corals of Hawai'i : field guide to the hard, black, and soft corals of Hawai'i and the northwest Hawaiian Islands, including Midway.'' Honolulu, Hawai'i: Mutual Pub. . *'' Cyphastrea chalcidicum'' (Forsskål, 1775) *'' Cyphastrea decadia'' Moll & Best, 1984 *'' Cyphastrea hexasepta'' Veron, Turak & DeVantier, 2000 *'' Cyphastrea japonica'' Yabe & Sugiyama, 1932 *'' Cyphastrea kausti'' Bouwmeester & Benzoni, 2015 *'' Cyphastrea magna'' Benzoni & ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colpophyllia
''Colpophyllia'' is a genus of stony corals in the family Mussidae. It is monotypic with a single species, ''Colpophyllia natans'', commonly known as boulder brain coral or large-grooved brain coral. It inhabits the slopes and tops of reefs, to a maximum depth of fifty metres. It is characterised by large, domed colonies, which may be up to two metres across, and by the meandering network of ridges and valleys on its surface. The ridges are usually brown with a single groove, and the valleys may be tan, green, or white and are uniform in width, typically 2 centimetres. The polyps only extend their tentacles at night. Description Individual colonies of ''Colpophyllia natans'' are large and usually broadly domed, with curvature typically increasing with the size, and therefore age, of the colony. They grow up to two metres in diameter and morphologically earn the epithet "boulder". Colony shape may occasionally be flat-topped discs, particularly when younger. As a type of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caulastraea
''Caulastraea'' is a genus of stony corals in the family Merulinidae. Species of ''Caulastraea'' are commonly found in the aquarium trade under the names candy cane coral or trumpet coral. Species The following species are currently recognized: *'' Caulastraea connata'' (Ortmann, 1892) *'' Caulastraea curvata'' Wijsman-Best, 1972 *'' Caulastraea echinulata'' (M. Edwards & Haime, 1849) *'' Caulastraea furcata'' Dana, 1846 *'' Caulastraea tumida'' Matthai, 1928 Gallery File:Candy cane coral (Caulastrea echinulata) (5).jpg, At Birdworld Birdworld is the United Kingdom's largest bird park, covering . It is located in the East Hampshire district, close to the village of Bucks Horn Oak and the surrounding Alice Holt Forest. It is part of the parent company Haskins Garden Centre Lt ..., England File:Caulastraea 1.jpg, A colony in captivity File:Caulastraea, luz actínica.jpg, Feeder tentacles extended References External links * * Merulinidae Scleractinia genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bikiniastrea
''Dipsastraea'' is a genus of stony corals in the family Merulinidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region. They are zooxanthellate corals. Species The following species are currently recognized by the World Register of Marine Species : *'' Dipsastraea albida'' (Veron, 2000) *'' Dipsastraea amicorum'' (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849) *'' Dipsastraea camranensis'' (Latypov, 2013) *''Dipsastraea danai'' (Milne Edwards, 1857) *'' Dipsastraea faviaformis'' (Veron, 2000) *'' Dipsastraea favus'' (Forskål, 1775) *'' Dipsastraea helianthoides'' (Wells, 1954) *'' Dipsastraea lacuna'' (Veron, Turak & DeVantier, 2000) *''Dipsastraea laddi'' (Wells, 1954) *'' Dipsastraea laxa'' (Klunzinger, 1879) *''Dipsastraea lizardensis'' (Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977) *''Dipsastraea maritima'' (Nemezo, 1971) *''Dipsastraea marshae'' (Veron, 2000) *''Dipsastraea matthaii'' (Vaughan, 1918) *''Dipsastraea maxima'' (Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977) *''Dipsastr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barabattoia
''Dipsastraea'' is a genus of stony corals in the family Merulinidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region. They are zooxanthellate corals. Species The following species are currently recognized by the World Register of Marine Species : *'' Dipsastraea albida'' (Veron, 2000) *'' Dipsastraea amicorum'' (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849) *'' Dipsastraea camranensis'' (Latypov, 2013) *''Dipsastraea danai'' (Milne Edwards, 1857) *'' Dipsastraea faviaformis'' (Veron, 2000) *'' Dipsastraea favus'' (Forskål, 1775) *'' Dipsastraea helianthoides'' (Wells, 1954) *'' Dipsastraea lacuna'' (Veron, Turak & DeVantier, 2000) *''Dipsastraea laddi'' (Wells, 1954) *'' Dipsastraea laxa'' (Klunzinger, 1879) *''Dipsastraea lizardensis'' (Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977) *''Dipsastraea maritima'' (Nemezo, 1971) *''Dipsastraea marshae'' (Veron, 2000) *''Dipsastraea matthaii'' (Vaughan, 1918) *''Dipsastraea maxima'' (Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977) *''Dipsastr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Favia
''Favia'' is a genus of reef-building stony corals in the family Mussidae. Members of the genus are massive or thickly encrusting colonial corals, either dome-shaped or flat, and a few are foliaceous. There is a great diversity of form even among individuals of the same species. The corallites project slightly above the surface of the coral and each has its own wall. In most species, the corallites are plocoid and in some, monocentric. The septa and costae linked to the corallite wall are well developed and covered by fine teeth. The polyps only extend and feed during the night. Each one has a small number of tapering tentacles which often have a darker coloured tip; these are called stinger tentacles, or sweeper tentacles. They use these to sweep the water to see if any other coral is in its area; if so, then they begin to sting the other coral. This is commonly known as coral war. Each coral is trying to make sure it has enough room around it so it can continue to grow and have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staghorn Coral
The staghorn coral (''Acropora cervicornis'') is a branching, stony coral with cylindrical branches ranging from a few centimetres to over two metres in length and height. It occurs in back reef and fore reef environments from depth. The upper limit is defined by wave forces, and the lower limit is controlled by suspended sediments and light availability. Fore reef zones at intermediate depths were formerly dominated by extensive single-species stands of staghorn coral until the mid-1980s. This coral exhibits the fastest growth of all known western Atlantic fringe corals, with branches increasing in length by per year. This has been one of the three most important Caribbean corals in terms of its contribution to reef growth and fishery habitat. Distribution Staghorn coral is found throughout the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean islands. This coral occurs in the western Gulf of Mexico, but is absent from U.S. waters in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Bermuda and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
