''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals 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 ...

Acroporidae 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 ...

. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon.

Characteristics

''Alveopora'' has a very light and porous skeleton consisting of interconnecting rods and spines. The colonies are either massive or branching and often have irregular shapes. The

corallite A corallite is the skeletal cup, formed by an individual stony coral polyp, in which the polyp sits and into which it can retract. The cup is composed of aragonite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, and is secreted by the polyp. Corallit ...

s have walls that are very perforated and

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 ...

that are mostly composed of fine spines which may meet in the centre forming a tangle of columella. The polyps are large and fleshy and are normally extended both day and night. They have twelve tentacles, often with swollen knob-like tips. They have symbiotic

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae is a colloquial term for single-celled dinoflagellates that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including demosponges, corals, jellyfish, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthellae are in the genus ''Sy ...

in their tissues and are usually white, pale grey, cream or light brown, sometimes with contrasting coloured tentacles.

Species

This genus contains the following species: *''

Alveopora allingi ''Alveopora allingi'' is a species of stony coral that is found 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 cen ...

'' Hoffmeister, 1925 *''

Alveopora catalai ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial Scleractinia, stony corals in the Family (biology), family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncom ...

'' Wells, 1968 *'' Alveopora daedalea'' (Forsskål, 1775) *'' Alveopora excelsa'' Verrill, 1864 *'' Alveopora fenestrata'' (Lamarck, 1816) *''

Alveopora gigas ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Veron, 1985 *''

Alveopora japonica ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Eguchi, 1968 *''

Alveopora marionensis ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Veron & Pichon, 1982 *''

Alveopora minuta ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Veron, 2000 *''

Alveopora noamiae ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Nemenzo, 1979 *''

Alveopora ocellata ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Wells, 1954 *''

Alveopora simplex ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' *''

Alveopora spongiosa ''Alveopora spongiosa'' is a species of stony coral that is found 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 ce ...

'' Dana, 1846 *''

Alveopora superficialis ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Pillai & Scheer, 1976 *''

Alveopora tizardi ''Alveopora'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon. Characteristics ''Alveopor ...

'' Bassett-Smith, 1890 *''

Alveopora verrilliana ''Alveopora verrilliana'' is a species of stony coral that is found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea, the oceanic west and central Pacific ...

'' Dana, 1846 *''

Alveopora viridis ''Alveopora viridis'' is a species of stony coral that has a highly disjunct range, and can be found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the northern Indian Ocean and in Palau and the Mariana Islands. It is found on lower coral reef slopes to dept ...

'' (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)

References

Acroporidae Scleractinia genera Taxa named by Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville {{scleractinia-stub