''Acropora samoensis'' 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 found in the Red Sea, the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...

, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central

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 ...

, Australia, Southeast Asia, 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 ...

and the oceanic west and central Pacific Ocean. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs on upper slopes of reefs, from depths of . It was described by Brook in 1891.

Description

It occurs in digitate colonies that are either prostrate or corymbose and have diameters up to . Its branches taper slightly towards the ends and are curved. Its axial corallites have diameters at least double the size of its radial corallites and are dome-shaped; its radial corallites are tube-shaped. It is blue, cream, or purple in colour, and looks similar to '' Acropora torresiana''.

Distribution

It is classed as a least concern species on the IUCN Red List, but it is believed that its population is decreasing, and it is listed under Appendix II of CITES. Figures of its population are unknown, but is likely to be threatened by the global reduction of coral reefs, the increase of temperature causing coral bleaching, climate change, human activity, the crown-of-thorns starfish (''Acanthaster planci'') and disease. It occurs in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west and central Pacific Ocean. It is found at depths of between in tropical shallow reefs on upper slopes.

Taxonomy

It was described as ''Madrepora samoensis'' by Brook in 1891.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3945807 Acropora Cnidarians of the Pacific Ocean Fauna of the Indian Ocean Fauna of the Red Sea Marine fauna of Africa Marine fauna of Asia Marine fauna of Oceania Corals described in 1891