Acropora

General description:

A variety of colony shapes occur, as growth may be determinate, leading to more or less symmetrical shape and obvious edge zone, or indeterminate, leading to unrestricted growth (Wallace 1999 p. 50-51). Other distinguishing characteristics include the relative contribution of axial and radial corallites to branch width, shape of radial corallites, whether or not radial corallites are dimorphic, shape and arrangement of coenosteal spines. (Figure 4). Montipora does not haveand Astreopora

Diagnosis:

Acroporidae which are ramose, rarely encrusting; branching mode axial, each branch having a single axial or leading corallite larger than the numerous radial corallites budded from it; radial corallites variously differentiated in shape and size, up to twelve spinose septa; theca and coenosteum light, reticulate, spinose, costate or pseudocostate; columella and dissepiments absent.

Type species:

Millepora muricata Linneaus, 1758 p. 792; ICZN Decision Verrill, 1902 Type Specimen: Neotype; MTQ G49167; Verified; Dry Preserved Type Locality: Banda Sea, Gunung Api I., Banda Is, Indonesia 04° 31’S 129° 52’E ICZN approved validation of type species, Opinion 674, 1963 (Boschma, 1961; China, 1963). Linnaeus gave the type locality as “in Pelagio Asiatico” (Asian Ocean). Although Linnaeus’ description clearly had many influences, Gregory (1900) considered that the strongest came from the illustrated work of Rumphius (1750) from the region of Ambon, Indonesia. The designated neotype was collected close to Ambon and selected to show close resemblance to a Rumphius illustration cited by Linneaus. The junior synonym Acropora formosa (Dana, 1846) was in common use until the identity of the type species was stabilized by this designation. See Wallace (1999 pp 2-6) for nomenclatural and taxonomic history.

Remarks:

Monographed Brook 1893, Veron and Wallace 1984, Wallace 1999. Valid extant species number between about 120 and 140 (Wallace 1999; Veron 2000); valid fossil species approx. 20-30 (Michellotti 1838, Duncan 1866, Oppenheim 1901, Alvarez Perez 1987, Wallace 2008). Active research will lead to new species descriptions in both living and fossil records. This genus becomes extremely diverse in the Indo-Pacific but not in the Western Atlantic during the Late Cenozoic. See Wallace (1999) for a comprehensive treatment of the genus and included species

Look alikes:

Axial corallites are also seen in some species of Isopora, but with supplementary or multiple axials, and in one species of Astreopora. Acropora and Isopora differ in gametic morphology, ova and spermaries being born within mesenterial filaments in Acropora and on stalks in Isopora, and also in reproductive mode, Acropora being a spawner versus Isopora a brooder oviparous versus viviparous). Montipora corallites do not have a theca and Astreopora does not typically have differentiated axial and radial corallites. Anacropora and Dendracis both have branching colony form, but without an axial corallite or, in the case of Anacropora, thecae.

Distribution:

THIS IS JUST COPY AND PASTED - NOT A CONTROLLED VOCABULARY

    Southern Europe; Paleocene
    Subsaharan Africa; Paleocene
    Western Europe; Eocene
    Southern Europe; Eocene
    Eastern Europe; Eocene
    Subsaharan Africa; Eocene
    Central America; Eocene
    Western Europe; Oligocene
    Southern Europe; Oligocene
    Eastern Europe; Oligocene
    Central America; Oligocene
    Caribbean; Oligocene
    South America; Oligocene
    Caribbean, Southeast Asia; Miocene - Pliocene
    Western Europe; Miocene
    Southern Europe; Miocene
    North Africa; Miocene
    South Asia; Miocene
    East Asia; Miocene
    Micronesia; Miocene
    Polynesia; Miocene
    North America; Miocene
    Central America; Miocene
    Caribbean; Miocene
    South America; Miocene
    West Asia; Miocene
    Southeast Asia; Miocene
    Central America, Caribbean, Southeast Asia; Pliocene - Pleistocene
    East Asia; Pliocene
    Melanesia; Pliocene
    Polynesia; Pliocene
    North America; Pliocene
    Central America; Pliocene
    Caribbean; Pliocene
    West Asia; Pliocene
    Southeast Asia; Pliocene
    East Asia; Pleistocene - Holocene
    North Africa; Pleistocene
    Subsaharan Africa; Pleistocene
    South Asia; Pleistocene
    East Asia; Pleistocene
    Australasia; Pleistocene
    Melanesia; Pleistocene
    Micronesia; Pleistocene
    Polynesia; Pleistocene
    North America; Pleistocene
    Central America; Pleistocene
    Caribbean; Pleistocene
    South America; Pleistocene
    West Asia; Pleistocene
    West Indian Ocean Islands; Pleistocene
    Southeast Asia; Pleistocene
    Indian Ocean; Recent
    Western Pacific; Recent
    Central Pacific; Recent
    Eastern Pacific; Recent
    Western Atlantic; Recent
    South Asia; Holocene
    East Asia; Holocene
    Australasia; Holocene
    Melanesia; Holocene
    Micronesia; Holocene
    Polynesia; Holocene
    North America; Holocene
    Caribbean; Holocene
    West Indian Ocean Islands; Holocene

Extant or Extinct:

Extant

Taxonomic name:

Acropora (Scleractinia)

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