''Platygyra contorta'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of colonial

stony coral 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 polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

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 vall ...

. It was described by

John Veron John Veron (born 1945), complete name John Edward Norwood Veron, credited in research as J. E. N. Veron, and in other writing as Charlie Veron, is a biologist, taxonomist, and specialist in the study of corals and reefs. He is believed to hav ...

in 1990. It is found at depths of and its colonies are over in diameter. It has been identified as a

least-concern species A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

Description

''Platygyra contorta'' is a colonial species found in columnar or encrusting structures. It is light yellow, green, grey, or red in colour, and it has thin walls. Its

septa The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...

are non-uniform and its valleys are curved and short at the centre of colonies, becoming linear and long at the margins of colonies. Colonies have diameters often exceeding . Its valleys measure between in width. The species has a similar appearance to '' Goniastrea deformis'' and ''

Platygyra verweyi ''Platygyra'' is a genus of stony corals in the family Merulinidae. Species The following species are currently recognized: *'' Platygyra acuta'' Veron, 2002 *''Platygyra carnosus'' Veron, 2002 *'' Platygyra contorta'' Veron, 1990 *''Platygyr ...

''.

Distribution

It is found in the eastern and western Indian Ocean, and the northwestern, eastern central, and western central Pacific Ocean. In Japan, it is common near the mainland (

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

), and is uncommon in the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...

. It also occurs in Australia, Vietnam, Yemen, Madagascar, Fiji, Thailand, the Marshall Islands, and East Africa. The species is found at depths of between in lagoons, shallow reefs, and on rocks. Its population is thought to be decreasing and the species is threatened by climate change, the acidification of oceans, coral disease, fishing, human activities, and bleaching. The species is listed under Appendix II of

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

and has been identified as a

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(IUCN).

Taxonomy

Specimens of ''Platygyra contorta'' were studied in 1977 but identified as '' Platygyra rustica''. It was first described by John Edward Norwood Veron in 1990.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3947136 Animals described in 1990 Merulinidae