''Porolithon'' is a genus of red algae comprising 24 species.
[ The ''Porolithon'' are the primary ]reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...
building algae. When coral reefs reach sea level, the coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...
s break under the high energy impact of the wave
In physics, mathematics, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more quantities. Waves can be periodic, in which case those quantities oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium (res ...
s, while the coralline red algae, primarily ''Porolithon'', continuing building and cementing the reef structure.
Species
Accepted species in the genus are:Porolithon colliculosum
''Porolithon'' is a genus of red algae comprising 24 species. The ''Porolithon'' are the primary reef building algae. When coral reefs reach sea level, the corals break under the high energy impact of the waves, while the coralline red algae, prim ...
'' Masaki
# '' Porolithon imitatum'' R.A.Townsend & G.W.Saunders
# '' Porolithon improcerum'' (Foslie & M.Howe) M.Howe
# '' Porolithon maneveldtii'' R.A.Townsend & Huisman
# '' Porolithon marshallense'' W.R.Taylor
# '' Porolithon oligocarpum'' (Foslie) W.H.Adey
# ''Porolithon onkodes
''Porolithon'' is a genus of red algae comprising 24 species. The ''Porolithon'' are the primary reef building algae. When coral reefs reach sea level, the corals break under the high energy impact of the wave
In physics, mathematics, and rel ...
'' (Heydrich) Foslie - tip
# ''Porolithon penroseae
''Porolithon'' is a genus of red algae comprising 24 species. The ''Porolithon'' are the primary reef building algae. When coral reefs reach sea level, the corals break under the high energy impact of the waves, while the coralline red algae, prim ...
'' R.A.Townsend & P.W.Gabrielson
# ''Porolithon praetextatum
''Porolithon'' is a genus of red algae comprising 24 species. The ''Porolithon'' are the primary reef building algae. When coral reefs reach sea level, the corals break under the high energy impact of the waves, while the coralline red algae, prim ...
'' (Foslie) Foslie
# ''Porolithon sandvicense
''Porolithon'' is a genus of red algae comprising 24 species. The ''Porolithon'' are the primary reef building algae. When coral reefs reach sea level, the corals break under the high energy impact of the waves, while the coralline red algae, prim ...
'' (Foslie) Foslie
# '' Porolithon sonorense'' E.Y.Dawson
References
Corallinaceae
Red algae genera
{{Rhodophyta-stub