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Monti ID

Coral Identification: Coral 2

This will be a page to document the ID of JBNY (Joe).
Coral used: original:

9 months later:

Fragment bleached:

Close up of main branch showing axial corallites and radial corallites as well as coenosteum:

Looking at the table from Wallace, my coral most resembles a caespitose-corymbose growth form, letter H on the picture.
Close-up of Axial Corallite:

I count primary six septa. No secondary.
Septal length is mostly equal
Cycles of septal: One cycle
Septal height: not exsert
Septal dentition: forms comb rows (not 100% on this as it's hard to see)
Paliform structures: absent

One type of radial corallite
Radial corallites are 'appressed'.
Radial corallite opening is dimidiate.
Radial corallite shape is nariform.

Growth Form:

  • Caespitose-corymbose
Axials:
  • Septa: six primary. No secondary.
  • Septal length: mostly equal
  • Cycles of septa: One cycle
  • Septal height: not exsert
  • Septal dentition: forms comb rows (not 100% on this as it's hard to see)
  • Paliform structures: absent
Radials:
  • One type of radial corallite
  • Nariform with elongate openings (picture I on p 56)
  • No septa in radials, Larger radials that look as if they will form axials, have 4 radials.
  • Radial corallites are 'appressed'.
  • Radial corallite opening is dimidiate.
  • Radial corallite shape is nariform.
  • Nariform with elongate (looks oval shape) openings (picture I on p 56)
Coenosteum:
  • Coenosteum between radials is costate or broken costate.
  • Top edges of the costae contain spinnules that are shark-like.
  • Costate with spinule development. Closest to picture E on p 57
Grouping:
  • Acropora latistella or A. nastuta
Based of the above I picked the Acropora latistella group. I came down to that and the Acropora echinata group. But in echinata the radials were different and the also the radials are similar to the axials, which is not the case on my branch. I think this coral also fits into the Nasuta group. After looking at it for some time I think that this group might be a better fit than the latistella
Looking at the species Keys:
1.branch formation: 0
2.branching orders: 1
3.colony outline: 0
4.Predominant outline: 5
5.Branch diameter: 0
6.Coenosteum: 0
7.Radial coralite coenosteum: 0
8.Between radials coenosteum: 0
9.Spinule shape: 6
10.Radial corallite sizes: 0
11.Radial corallite inner wall: 1 ?
12.Radial corallite shape: 0
13.Radial corallite openings: 1
14.Axial/radial ratio: 1
15.Axial coralite outer diameter: 2
16.Radial coralites: 3
17.Branch thickness: 2
18.Branch taper: 1
19.Max branch length: 2
20.Radial crowding: 0
21.Axial corallite syn rings: 0
22.Skeletal porosity: 0
23.Radial cor syn rings: 0

This page updated last on December 12, 2006.

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