''Acropora anthocercis'' is a species of

acroporid Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek ''"akron"'' meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the tip of each branch of coral. They are commonly known a ...

coral that was first described by G. Brook in 1893. Found on the top slopes of reefs, it is often in contact with strong waves. The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population covering a large range, but is abundant in some areas such as Queensland. It is also listed under CITES Appendix II.

Description

''Acropora anthocercis'' specimens are found in colonies of corymbose formation on rocks. It occurs in a variety of colours; mainly purple, blue, mauve, and grey. The branches are wide and short, and are encrusted in some locations. The radial corallites (on the sides of each branch) are located close to each other, and there are many axian corallites (on the end) on each branch. It is similar to '' Acropora appressa'', '' Acropora desalwii'', and '' Acropora parapharaonis'', and is found on the upper slopes of shallow reefs, so is exposed to strong waves. It can be found at depths of .

Distribution

''Acropora anthocercis'' can be found over a large range; the Red Sea, the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, the

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...

, the western Pacific ocean in marine environments, South Africa, and Mozambique. It is abundant in Queensland, with a 90% of Australian specimens believed to be in that region. It can be found at depths of , and at temperatures between . It is classed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List as the population is decreasing, and is listed under Appendix II of CITES. Its population is unknown, but is likely to be threatened by the global reduction of coral reefs, the increase of temperature causing bleaching, disease, and being prey to the '' Acanthaster planci''.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by G. Brook in 1893 as ''Madrepora anthocercis'', but was previously described as a synonym of ''Madrepora coronata'' by G. Brook in 1892.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3944257 Acropora Animals described in 1893 Vulnerable animals